Australia Votes 2025: Monday, Day 10
Australians head to the polls on May 3rd to decide who will get form the next government of Australia. Stay tuned by following our updates to understand the big events dominating the campaign.
Peter Dutton’s Spectacular Backflip
Liberal Leader Peter Dutton joined Liberal candidate, and former MP, Nicolle Flint in the marginal seat of Boothby on Monday | Peter Dutton Facebook
Beginning week two on a rocky start, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton performed a spectacular backflip, declaring the coalition’s plan to axe work-from-home benefits and cull the public sector dead, after weekend polling showed Labor increasing its 2pp lead to 52:48 per cent.
Landing in Adelaide to support former Liberal MP and Candidate Nicolle Flint in Boothby, Mr Dutton reversed the policy position after intense backlash in seats in areas of Melbourne and Sydney, which will play a critical factor in this year’s election.
“We’re listening to what people have to say. We’re made a mistake in relation to the policy. We apologise for that,” said Mr Dutton to Channel Nine.
The Coalition, which was positioning the policy change alongside its tax deductible lunch policy — was hoping these policies would prove popular amongst frustrated electorates, including the hospitality sector hoping the return to work would mean more workers rushing for that morning coffee.
The reversal also raises fresh questions on how the Coalition will fund its pledge to increase spending on Medicare by $9 billion (committed in February in an attempt to mitigate the effects of Labor’s fear campaign on Medicare), given the original plan to cull over 41,000 public servants was advertised as the solution to the funding.
Perhaps it’s time Mr Dutton finds some new tricks, and fast.
Line Goes Down
Stock markets globally continue to fall following President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcement last week on Thursday | Canva
The Australian Securities Exchange 200 Index (‘ASX’) joined other Asian markets in following the line downwards — finishing Monday $112 billion worse off, or down 324.5 points (4.2 per cent) to 7343.30 points — after briefly hitting a 16-month low of 7169.20.
After crossing the 10 per cent ‘correction’ marker last week on Friday, the ASX continued to fall after Donald Trump declared his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs — which saw Australia placed with a minimum 10 per cent tariff — but bizarrely Norfolk Island (an external territory of Australia) receiving a 27 per cent tariff (despite not exporting anything to the United States) and the Heard and Macdonald Islands receiving a 10 per cent tariff (also an external territory of Australia consisting only of penguins).
The penguins will fight back…
Treasurer Jim Chalmers held an urgent press conference as the stock market was tumbling, saying Australia is “well placed” to handle the fallout from the Trump Tariffs, however conceded “uncertainty” as towards how the tariff will play out over coming months, if not weeks, if not days.
But on the good news, Mr Chalmers indicated that economic volatility may cause “the next Reserve Bank interest rate cut in May” to be as large as 50 basis points.
So people can be relieved to know that as the current economic situation evolves, Donald Trump is actively thinking about renters and mortgage holders in West Sydney.
A Leaky Coalition
Port Darwin’s future looks Australian as both major parties pledge to place it back under Australian ownership | Supplychain.com
Last week on Saturday, Peter Dutton made the surprise announcement, that if elected, the Coalition was seek to place the Port of Darwin (currently under Chinese ownership) back into Australian hands - except there was only one issue — Anthony Albanese had already announced it.
Speaking to ABC Darwin, long-time listener Albo dialled in, although haphazardly, to declare that a re-elected Labor government was seek to place the Port of Darwin, currently owned by the Chinese Landbridge Group, back under Australian ownership for ‘economic reasons’.
Landbridge Group took control of the port in 2015 after the Northern Territory government (then under the control of the Country Liberal Party, the Liberal Party’s child?) sold (or ‘flogged off’ according to the Prime Minister) the port for $506 million during a period of financial duress — Landbridge has 100 per cent operational control of the Port.
How Labor became aware of Mr Dutton’s announcement is currently unknown (please contact the Liberal Party if you know), Mr Dutton argued a journalist leaked the story but Mr Albanese has denied this being the case.
Former Coalition staffer turned columnist Niki Savva in an interview for Insiders said she believed the leak originated within the Coalition.
“But I’m told that it wasn’t the journos, that Labor actually got it from someone on the Liberal side. Now if that’s true, and I’m told it’s 100 per cent right…then I think that’s a pretty bad sign for the Dutton camp,” said Niki Savva.
Unfortunately it is now too late to return your leaky Coalition.
Albo acknowledges existence of Victorian Premier
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen in Melbourne, defending against accusations that Ms Allen is a liability | Jacinta Allen Facebook
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took the courageous step to campaign with Victorian Labor Premier Jacinta Allen in the seat of Melbourne, breaking the PM’s avoidance streak with the unpopular state Labor leader.
Having luckily avoided Ms Allen last week in Melbourne — Mr Albanese who chose to spend his time with popular South Australian and Western Australian Labor Premiers earlier last week — finally appeared with his Victorian counterpart to talk up the Melbourne Airport Rail and Link.
A Resolve Strategic poll conducted on March 30 found only 23 per cent of voters found Ms Allen to be a better Premier than compared to her Liberal opponent (although in fairness he scored only 36 per cent).
The Premier’s flatlining popularity clearly had an effect on Mr Albanese today, who sidestepped frequent questions from the press pack about whether his decision to ignore Ms Allen for most of the ‘unofficial’ campaign was intentional.
Ms Allen, positioned behind the Prime Minister, looked visibly uncomfortable as you would have in high school standing behind your mate being lectured by your teacher for only starting the group assignment the night before its deadline, realised it was probably advantageous to get out fast.
“I will leave the commentary to others,” she said.