Malcolm Turnbull is in western Sydney as Bill Shorten continues in regional Queensland on day three of the election campaign. Follow all the latest updates here
8.06am BST
So that’s where the prime minister has been hiding out.
7.45am BST
Readers and their facts. Can you bear it?
@murpharoo how are you convinced he's driving in a Left Hand Drive vehicle?
7.35am BST
Thanks to BuzzFeed for bringing this to my attention this afternoon. Not quite carpool karaoke, but superb in it’s own fashion. Who says Scott Morrison can’t drive and record a video and hold up a brochure at the same time?
7.29am BST
On Sky News just now the cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos has been asked about the superannuation brushfire. Sinodinos says it’s good news. It means people are still talking about the budget. Glass half full, right there, on the television.
7.25am BST
My colleague Paul Farrell has brought this sequence to my attention. This morning the Greens candidate in Grayndler Jim Casey posted a picture of himself reading the Daily Telegraph edition from today which endorsed Labor’s Anthony Albanese on the front page.
.@AlboMP slams opponent @JimCaseyGreens over 'Trotskyist' comment that he'd rather have Abbott as PM than Shorten.https://t.co/WToj9BnS3D
FRNSW management have asked that the pic of me reading the morning paper be taken down. Ok then. Down it goes.
7.09am BST
We met Jim Gleeson at the end of Gabi Chan’s brief dispatch from Townsville after the Shorten street walk. She’s sent a lovely photo of him, which I thought I’d share.
6.48am BST
From the north, to the west. Some news from my erstwhile colleague, Calla Wahlquist.
Greg Hunt has arrived in #Hasluck, jacket slung rakishly over his shoulder. @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/Ctzum0wG15
6.46am BST
While our eyes are still northward, the member for Dawson, George Christensen, has taken to his Facebook page to say he won’t support refugees from Syria in Mackay. He wants the Labor candidate, who campaigned with Bill Shorten today, to express a view on the subject.
I can assure local residents that rumours of Syrian refugees being housed at Jilalan or anywhere in the Mackay region are false. I have been advised by the assistant minister for multiculturalism that “Sarina is not currently a designated settlement location.” Further to this, I’ve advised the assistant minister that the Mackay region won’t be able to handle an influx of refugees given the state of the regional economy. I have repeatedly made this point clear to the government since September 2015.
I believe any jobs that are available in the region need to go to our residents who are already struggling to find work, and we don’t need to introduce more people to contest that pool of jobs. People may recall that I conducted a Facebook poll back in September last year to gauge community sentiment on this issue and about 75% of local respondents were against the idea of settling refugees in Mackay.
6.37am BST
Checking in from Townsville. The North Ward shopping centre was chosen for Bill Shorten’s first street walk. It is the suburb of North Ward and has been recently redeveloped with a larger supermarket and all the usual chemists, discount stores and coffee shops. Shorten walked through the centre surrounded by a pack of media, greeting daunted shoppers in the camera lights.
Indigenous woman Patricia Dallachy from Charters Towers had her most important issue front of mind. She was fighting for diabetes medication, given she only two days left in her supply. Shorten assigned a staff member to follow up. Jenny Gaylard, shopping centre manager, told Shorten the biggest issue in Townsville was unemployment. She said her son in law was unemployed, while her son was on short term contacts with no job security. “He’s 27, he would like to have a house, get married and have children, but there is no security.” Her daughter is in the vocational training centre, which she said has been hit by cutbacks. She said she would assess the policies. She rejected the tag swinging voter. “I like to think I think about the policies and whether they suit the times”.
6.33am BST
I’ve asked my colleague Gareth Hutchens for a ruling on whether the government’s super changes are retrospective or not, because he is more across the intricacies of this particular budget measure than I am. He’s currently working up an explainer on the topic. Superficially any measure that takes effect from 2007 is retrospective, but I acknowledge super is a complex area and analysis is best left to specialists. I note that the Grattan Institute’s John Daley, a thoroughly sensible economist, is backing the government’s characterisation of its measure. The ABC is quoting Daley saying the measures are not retrospective.
John Daley:
Lots of changes affect investments made in the past, and no one suggests they are retrospective. If I bought shares in a company yesterday, I expect that the future earnings on these assets will be subject to my marginal income tax rate. But if my income tax rates change, I would not expect that the old tax rate to be grandfathered to apply to all my future earnings. Misguided claims about retrospectivity should not be used as cover so that this older generation continues to gain unjustifiable benefits that will now be denied to younger generations.
5.52am BST
Looking pretty claustrophobic on that Shorten streetwalk in Townsville, which is underway now.
North ward shopping centre manager Jenny Gaylard meets @billshortenmp @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/1TJeBFVRIy
5.50am BST
Back to preferences for a bit. As Murph mentioned earlier, shadow ministers Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek have been busy today claiming the NSW Liberals are set to direct preferences to the Greens in their seats of Grayndler and Sydney in return for the Greens running open tickets elsewhere. If true, it would mirror a deal Victorian Liberal party director Michael Kroger is reportedly considering.
In an effort to get to the bottom of this, I approached the NSW Liberals. They sent me a copy of federal director Tony Nutt’s statement from yesterday, that says “no decisions have been made regarding preferences”.
5.45am BST
Just a little bit more of Josh Frydenberg and Neil Mitchell.
Q: OK, so you’re denying there’s any increase of superannuation taxes. Are you?
No, there’s some changes around taxation, they’re prospective as opposed to retrospective and importantly, what they’re allowing us to do is to provide real benefits to those at the lower income threshold, but also more flexibility there has to be said.
For example woman who leave the workforce haven’t been able in the past to carry forward their used concessional cap, we’re now allowing them to do that. As I mentioned the low income tax offset - it’s a number of positive changes there.
5.35am BST
Readers with me all day know the budget superannuation measures are continuing to seed headaches for various Coalition folks attempting to engage with open microphones. The Coalition campaign headquarters evidently hasn’t had time to distribute a transcript of the resources minister Josh Frydenberg being mauled by Melbourne talkback radio host Neil Mitchell yet, so Labor’s campaign headquarters has kindly helped them out.
Humanitarians, really. Here’s an excerpt of the mauling.
Look, there’s nothing usual about the government consulting the key stakeholders about the implementation of a specific measure. We’re not talking about the substance of the measure. We’re not talking about the threshold or who it would apply to, we’re mealy just talking about the implementation which maybe for example around the paper work that’s required or something related..
Well there might be in terms of the amount of forms you have to fill in. It’s not about the substance. You know - lets go back to first principles as to why we’ve announced these pay cuts.
Well, we’re not talking about the substance of the policy, we’re not talking about the threshold, we’re not talking about the people that it would apply to, in this case less that 1% of people who have superannuation. We’re not nearly talking about the practical, implementation which is done in all matters of policy Neil. That you consult with stakeholders before you ..
It’s nothing to be worried about.
Well you’re hearing it from me that these super changes are very important to go back to the purpose of super which is to be a substitute or a supplement to the age pension, that’s what David Murray’s financial system inquiry recommended. That is the best of super and what we have done is not only make some changes at the top end but we’ve provided a whole range of equitable measures, particularly to help woman and those at the lower income earners.
Well it’s going to bring in a revenue that is then being put back to a.. .
There’s some changes around that. Which is - that’s the number you’re quoting.
Well we’re not increasing taxes...
5.21am BST
Meanwhile, in Townsville, Bill Shorten is tempting hustings fate in two ways: interacting first with children, and next with animals.
Check out Roxy the dog meeting @billshortenmp @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/Ai1OTeIdqj
5.07am BST
Canberra political blogger Paula Matthewson has drawn my attention to a move by the Australian Workers Union to snap up the domain names of Malcolm Turnbull’s snazzy new campaign branding.
@murpharoo Another rookie mistake https://t.co/m97P0PzlQk
Our PM forgot to register the domain names for his new brand. Thanks Malcolm, we own them now. #auspol #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/IVla7npcSZ
This may actually be against Australia's domain rules, @auda can you clarify? https://t.co/g0PpnYxZfn
@renailemay They would have to prove that it is a service or product they have, or they have a business name similar to it.
4.57am BST
Just a quick recap from the road with Bill Shorten – looking backwards and pointing forwards. The Labor leader spent the morning at the Beaconsfield state school for a campaign event with a prep class – which is kids aged four and half to five and a half. Luckily, there was young Sophia Thomas, five-year-old daughter of a Labor campaign worker who, when lifted up for the wall of cameras, handled herself with aplomb.
4.51am BST
While the campaign protagonists trade blows, a short update on various matters asylum.
4.31am BST
Back to Tanya Plibersek.
Q: On your home front. A colleague in Sydney, Anthony Albanese, has The Daily Telegraph there, a News Corporation paper, shouting out today “Save our Albo”. As an astute watcher of these things is that helpful to have that particular publication campaigning in his corner or counterproductive?
I am sure it is not counterproductive. He is a very popular figure. I am sure The Daily Telegraph are expressing the views of many Australians, particularly many Sydney siders in wanting to see Anthony Albanese returned.
I am looking forward to a ringing endorsement from the ABC and Fairfax Media and News Limited if they will give it to me. That would be fantastic. It draws attention to the deal that the Greens have done with the Liberals that spilled over from Michael Kroger’s Victorian arrangement to now. It seems the Liberals will be preferencing the Greens in Anthony’s seat and mine. You have to ask yourself why Michael Kroger would rather see a Green elected there than a Labor person. The simple answer is every seat that goes to the Greens, Labor is one seat further from forming government and Malcolm Turnbull is one step closer.
4.19am BST
Out on the hustings in Geelong, the assistant treasurer, Kelly O’Dwyer, is still battling the superannuation brushfire. She’s asked, isn’t a logical assumption that the changes are retrospective if they apply from 2007?
O’Dwyer says no.
The government has said there is a lifetime cap on contributions of $500,000. That doesn’t mean you can’t contribute more to superannuation, you absolutely can. What we are saying is you have a lifetime after-tax contributions cap of $500,000.
For those people who have contributed more than that, let’s say they have contributed $800,000 before budget night, they are going to be grandfathered. They won’t be affected by the lifetime cap. They won’t be able to put in another $500,000 but all of the money they have already contributed is able to remain in the superannuation system.
4.14am BST
Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek is on the ABC at the moment and she’s being asked about boat turnbacks. During the ALP conference debate in 2015, Plibersek voted against Labor adopting boat turnbacks via a proxy on the conference floor. So did Labor’s Senate leader, Penny Wong.
But Plibersek is today supporting the shadow cabinet position on turnbacks. It has to be “one” of the options.
We have said turnbacks have to be one of the policy options available to us.
Well, I think it is plain that it has to be one of the policy options available to us.
Of course I support it.
3.42am BST
Let’s take a few minutes to summarise the events of the morning before regrouping for the afternoon.
3.13am BST
Good grief it’s already lunchtime, I’ll do a summary post next.
3.03am BST
Looking west, my colleague Calla Wahlquist is hot on the heels of the door knockers in WA.
Doorknocking in Hasluck. "Sometimes you get houses with people in them but they pretend not to be home." @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/AXbJatvWS6
2.54am BST
Back to George Brandis and the press conference. This has been reported this morning but I haven’t had a chance to get to it yet. It’s a security story.
Brandis can explain, and does in his opening remarks.
I can confirm that yesterday five men aged between 21and 33 years of age were arrested in far north Queensland on suspicion of breaches of the anti-terrorism provisions of the commonwealth criminal code. Specifically, they were arrested on suspicion of engaging in foreign incursions to commit hostile acts in a foreign country, specifically Syria.
They were arrested on the basis that they were believed to have taken a vessel, by road, towed from Melbourne to far north Queensland, with an intention of leaving Australia by sea, transiting to Indonesia and, from Indonesia, seeking to reach Syria to engage in hostile acts in that country. That is, of course, a breach of commonwealth criminal law.
2.47am BST
Never a good idea to stand near signs of any sort.
2.45am BST
The attorney general, George Brandis, is holding a media conference in Townsville concerning a story I haven’t had a chance to reference yet. I’ll come to that shortly.
2.41am BST
The last question was a high lob on Tony Abbott campaigning in Mackay.
2.40am BST
A few local questions. Then one from my colleague Gabi Chan, which I suspect relates to the photograph she’s sent me and I posted before. I’m sure she’ll bring us up to speed in due course.
Q: Do you think parents are comfortable with political parties campaigning to 5-year-olds?
The point about that is not the 5-year-olds and how they vote. The real issue is drawing attention to education. The real issue here is making sure that parents understand there is a clear choice at the next election.
I didn’t ask Mr Turnbull to make education an issue in this election. He could have chosen to turn his back on tax cuts for multinationals. He could have chosen not to give $17,000 tax cuts to people who earn a million dollars a year – but he didn’t. By contrast, I know where I stand and my party knows where we stand on education. The best thing that a government can do is back the parents and kids of Australia and the teachers of Australia.
2.36am BST
Shorten is asked why Labor won’t support the $500,000 lifetime cap on superannuation? Are you helping the top end of town? The Labor leader says changes to superannuation shouldn’t be retrospective, that’s an important principle.
Q: What will a Labor government do to make sure the Adani coalmine gets up and running?
It’s a matter for the Queensland government in that regard. The Commonwealth government I lead wouldn’t be putting taxpayer money into the Adani mine. These matters have got to sink or swim on their own commercial viability. Our focus in the future is very much encouraging the development of renewable energy in a positive way.
In terms of what my very capable spokesperson for trade has said, she’s right, foreign investment is part of the economic engine room of Australia. Really we’ve had foreign investment in this country since the First Fleet and that is part of how we constitute our economic activity. Australians also invest our money and our superannuation in other countries. The world works best when we’ve got flowing trade between nations, and that includes investment. That’s what I think but we’ve got to maintain the national interest and we’ve got a transparent foreign review process which considers all factors in each set of circumstances.
2.28am BST
Shorten is then asked whether there will be a second election after the current one if the result is close and Labor won’t go into minority government.
Q: Tony Burke this morning wouldn’t rule out going back to the polls if he was faced with the choice of that – faced with the choice of that or [forming government] with the Greens. Will you be on the road again in August?
No, we want to win this election. I want to make it clear that whilst we are the underdog in this election, I genuine believe our policies are better for Australia than Malcolm Turnbull’s out-of-touch policies.
I don’t think anything summarises or highlights the difference more clearly in this election to be held on July 2 than the competing attitudes towards education, schools, our children and jobs of the economy of the future.
Our aim is to win the first one.
I’m not going to prejudge what the Australian people will do.
The only way you can have a second election is if there’s a not a clear outcome in the first election.
2.23am BST
Bill Shorten is asked about the prime minister’s comments in Lindsay, and asked what is Labor’s chance of picking up that seat?
Bill Shorten says the prime minister is an infrequent visitor to western Sydney, and when he went there today the divisions in the Liberal party were again today on display because she famously was supported by Tony Abbott.
Tony Abbott is running his separate election campaign because he doesn’t have confidence that Malcolm Turnbull can do it. I think Tony Abbott will be in Mackay tomorrow.
2.20am BST
Into questions now. I can’t hear the first question but from the answer it must be is money the answer to problems in the school system, and does investing in education boost economic growth?
Bill Shorten says it contradicts common sense to say that somehow, making sure that our kids are smarter and more educated, won’t improve the economy.
I have travelled up and down the length of Australia in the last three years, I have never once met a parent who came up to me and said, “Please, Bill, if you’re elected, can you spend a little less on my kids? Can you spend a little less on our schools?” It is absurd logic.
Chris Bowen was 100% right yesterday at the press club – there will be 2.8% improvement straight away if we implement these changes, and over the longer term, an 11% improvement to our GDP.
2.16am BST
Shadow education minister Kate Ellis says Labor is committing an additional $4.6m to support the expansion of targeted teaching.
In terms of targeted teaching, what this means is that we measure where a child’s learning is at, what they need to learn next and make sure that they get the individual attention and learning that they need and deserve.
2.15am BST
The Labor leader has emerged from the Beaconsfield school in Mackay, possibly the first triumph of advancing in campaign 2016. Beaconsfield, Beaconsfield, Beaconsfield. Beaconsfield. Bill. Beaconsfield.
Bill Shorten:
It’s in the DNA of all parents to make sure that your kids, other than being safe and resilient, get a quality education. I want to put it into the DNA of the nation that every school is a great school, that every child gets a great start.
2.12am BST
On the matter of cancellations.
But Turnbull's staff say we've gone overtime and he has a lot of meetings in Sydney so we're heading back to the big smoke #ausvotes
2.10am BST
I did say lock up your children at the opening of the campaign. Sophia looks fairly chilled, though.
Sophia Thomas, 5, daughter of Labor volunteer Craig(!!)at Beaconsfield school for day 3 of the campaign. @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/fmQik7SSp3
2.03am BST
The source for the cancelled street walk may be the bus driver on the Turnbull bus.
Bus driver Rick tells us the PM's second stop of the day, a street walk at Westfields has been cancelled #auspol pic.twitter.com/NGB52Bsuch
1.56am BST
Interesting.
It appears the Prime Minister's day of campaigning in Penrith is over after one event - a planned street walk has been cancelled
1.47am BST
Meanwhile, up north.
The Pelfie: how to out-selfie Malcolm. @billshortenmp @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/ua2ZpKlqLY
1.45am BST
1.38am BST
Turnbull is then asked a steadying question.
Q: The seat of Lindsay has been won by the party that formed government since 1984. How important is the seat for you, for your fortunes, are you worried about it and is it a must-win seat?
Really, the only way we can be sure of delivering the jobs and growth that Australia needs, the stability and the leadership that Australia deserves, to return my government on 2 July so that we deliver our national economic plan, every single lever of which, whether it is youth employment, whether it is giving women a better deal on super, whether it’s providing incentives to small and medium businesses, or whether it is innovation, every single element of what we are proposing is going to deliver jobs and growth. And that’s what we need. The opportunities have never been greater. They’ve never been greater. But there are uncertainties. Strong leadership. A clear vision. A clear plan. That’s what we have.
1.34am BST
Things running slightly off the rails here in Penrith. Turnbull is asked whether or not Julie Bishop has flagged changes to the super measures yesterday when she said there was consultation about them. No, says the prime minister, no changes.
The prime minister is asked whether he’s in Lindsay to reward the local MP Fiona Scott for voting for him in the leadership ballot. Malcolm Turnbull says Scott is a marvellously accomplished woman who has an MBA from the top business school in Sydney. Presumably this is to counter Tony Abbott’s description of Scott during the last campaign, when he famously noted she had sex appeal. But it sounds very ... how can I say this ... Malcolm.
Well, the prime minister did actually quite explain it with a journalist earlier.
1.26am BST
It’s worth recording the question and answer in full so you can see exactly what I mean. He gets there in the end. Yes, people pay more tax.
Q: Could I just clarify something on your superannuation tax concessions. If someone has more than $1.67m in their super account or has made more than $500,000 in post-tax contributions as at budget night, are you saying they won’t pay more tax on their money?
Let me start from the first one. If you have from 2017, from 1 July 2017, if you have more than $1.6m in your retirement account, this is the retirement account, then the amount in excess of 1.6m will be in what’s called the accumulation account. So that you would pay no tax on the earnings from your retirement account in the retirement phase, you pay 15% tax on the earnings from in the accumulation account. So if you are above 1.6m, yes, then if you had say $2m in your retirement account, you’re in the retirement phase in super, the earnings on $400,000, henceforth in the future, would be taxed at 15%.
Now, these changes – I’ve got to stress this: these changes that we’ve made to super are designed to make it fairer and more flexible. It is particularly beneficial to people on low incomes, because they have their super tax rebated or offset, so if your tax on your super contributions, if you’re earning up to $37,000, is you don’t have to pay that, so that is a big plus for people on low incomes. As we were discussing with some of Fiona’s constituents earlier, people who have not been able to make the full amount of their concessional contributions – and that’s typically or very often women who are out of the work force with family – they can catch up, so we’re providing additional flexibility there and we’re also providing additional flexibility for older people.
1.21am BST
The first question is on superannuation and retrospectivity. The prime minister is mired in an incredibly long and complicated answer.
1.20am BST
Malcolm Turnbull:
So it’s wonderful to be here. Out here in Western Sydney, here at Emu Plains ... we had a lovely ride out on the train. We had a good discussion with lots of people on the train and it’s just fantastic.
1.19am BST
It’s just fantastic.
Malcolm Turnbull is speaking to reporters in western Sydney now.
1.08am BST
When you go out and meet the public, the public will express views. In Penrith Angela Maguire is worried about systemic inequality in education.
PM Turnbull grilled about "systemic inequality" in education funding by small biz director Angela Maguire #auspol pic.twitter.com/Cql6nTbpqp
1.04am BST
Meanwhile, on the move in Mackay.
Bill on the Bill bus. @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/fJosyNVEn7
12.58am BST
Hello, Freya, aren’t you gorgeous.
12.55am BST
In Sydney, the shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, is being pressed on Labor’s negative gearing policy. This will lead to a softening in house prices, won’t it? The questioner sounds like the Nine Network’s Ross Greenwood, who does finance, but I can’t see him so I can’t be certain.
Bowen says he knows that some people don’t like Labor’s policy but not one credible interest group has been able to punch a hole in the policy. There’s no evidence the policy will have detrimental effects, Bowen says.
None, none.
12.52am BST
Why hello from the north. Today the Shorten campaign is going to Mackay in the heart of the electorate of Dawson. We are finally on our way after a media plane issue.
The seat is held by the tub-thumping Family Guy George Christensen, the LNP MP, who has a margin of 7.6. Christensen is at the National end of the LNP and a well-known supporter of Tony Abbott, who will be campaigning for him later this week, as Murph mentioned.
12.44am BST
Scott Morrison is campaigning still in Tasmania.
Q: The Institute of Public Affairs says your superannuation changes are retrospective. Have they got it wrong and why?
We are not changing any tax on anything that people have earned in the past. All we’re doing is changing how much tax people will pay in the future, on earnings they make in the future.
And people who’ve been able to contribute to their superannuation on very high incomes have had the benefit of very high thresholds for a long time. And we’re simply saying that going forward, going forward, prospectively, not retrospectively, prospectively, that in those top tier, the top 4%, will be paying tax on earnings where they have capital amounts above $1.6 million. Which is, as I said, the top 1% of wealthy superannuants in the country.
12.38am BST
Looking back north, the Courier-Mail reports that Tony Abbott will campaign in Liberal held seats so far “avoided” by Malcolm Turnbull. This turns out to be two seats: Ryan (where the local member won’t actually be present) and Dawson, held by George Christensen. Christensen has told the Courier Abbott was popular in Dawson and could connect on “heartland” issues.
Empathy and motivational speaking was the only motivation.
He is going there to gee up people. I think that it is just a matter of him coming to offer support. No agenda other than that.
12.32am BST
Meanwhile, back in Penrith.
"Everything we're doing is aimed at supporting you," PM says @murpharoo #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/xCcWja1WKM
12.30am BST
From our friends at AAP, an interview Bill Shorten did on Nova Brisbane early this morning.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten can correctly identify the year Captain Cook landed in Australia and who our first prime minister was, but don’t ask him who features on the $10 note.
The man vying for Australia’s top job on Wednesday ventured into that notoriously dangerous place for political leaders – FM radio – taking part in a trivia quiz against Olympic swimming champion Susie O’Neill on Brisbane’s Nova 106.9.
12.24am BST
On Sky News again, the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is asked about the Daily Telegraph’s front-page endorsement of Labor’s Anthony Albanese in Grayndler that Bridie drew your attention to first up today.
Sarah Hanson-Young:
I’m not sure the endorsement of the Murdoch rag is going to help.
12.22am BST
Sticking with Townsville briefly, here’s the local view on the Shorten tour.
Politics: a local business. pic.twitter.com/p85dDhJK6r
12.17am BST
Speaking of don’t tell the boss, the Townsville Bulletin this morning is reporting a stimulatory effect since the arrival of the press pack following Bill Shorten. The paper is quoting the venue manager at the Australian Hotel on Palmer Street, Matt Wood, saying he’d observed an increase in the number of “corporates” coming in for a meal and drink.
Matt Wood:
We have been getting busier.
12.10am BST
Uh oh. Can’t anyone have a sickie in peace?
Cafe swamped w media. Blonde lady doesn't want to show her face. "I'm supposed to be having a sick day" @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/7HBmnVoBA8
12.09am BST
On Sky News, the resources minister, Josh Frydenberg, is trying to walk a delicate line on the rolling controversy of preferences with the Greens. Where to direct preferences is a matter for the party organisation, Frydenberg says, but there’s no way we’d every collaborate with the Greens.
(Apart from potentially giving them preferences in an election campaign. That’s my translation, not Frydenberg’s, to be clear.)
12.04am BST
prep underway for PM's morning tea in Lindsay #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/RucNduLwzV
11.59pm BST
On thing is notable about this campaign from the prime minister’s perspective is the absence of interviews. To my knowledge Malcolm Turnbull has not done one interview this week, not radio, not regional radio, not television, not newspapers. That is quite an unusual way to launch on the hustings. Radio silence, apart from the daily public event and short press conference. Perhaps he’s still thinking about things. Thinking about things is not a bad thing of course.
11.47pm BST
Good to be thorough.
Toby the police dog checks media bags #election2016 https://t.co/0to9cSG8i6
11.45pm BST
Meanwhile to our north.
Shorten media plane grounded in Townsville. Shorten gives the hitchhikers a lift. @bkjabour @murpharoo
11.44pm BST
Good morning from the Turnbull bus. First up the prime minister is heading to Penrith for morning tea with Fiona Scott, MP for the seat of Lindsay.
Scott holds the seat on a margin of 3% but faces a strong opponent in Labor’s Emma Husar, a former Labor staffer, disability advocate and lifelong resident of the region.As Lindsay goes so does the country, in the conventional wisdom, making this western Sydney seat particularly hot property at election time.
11.40pm BST
Thanks to Bridie for battling the wall of sound and the flurry of page one PDFs and welcome good people of Politics Live to our rolling coverage of the election campaign, it’s delightful to be with you. Let’s take stock before we push forward into the day.
You know it’s an election campaign when the morning news cycle is thundering between superannuation concessions and preference deals. The ABC has picked up our story from yesterday that the Institute of Public Affairs intends to campaign against the budget superannuation measures, and that’s kicked hard into the news cycle. The IPA mobilising in the election season reflects concerns in the Liberal party base that the tax changes in the budget hit high-income earners retrospectively: like a slap in the face with a wet fish. The government again has the fire hose out in the early news cycle – these measures are not (underlined) retrospective says the finance minister and campaign spokesman, Mathias Cormann, because the change applies to future earnings. He’s done a couple of radio interviews and he’s now speaking to reporters in Canberra. The government has run a tight ship thus far – they really don’t want their own MPs wandering around like Brown’s cows on this issue, sharing their feelings. Hence the fire hose.
11.32pm BST
Liberal rightwing senator Cory Bernardi has lost the top spot on the Senate ticket in South Australia.
He should still be re-elected but the Adelaide Advertiser is reporting he was knocked from the top spot by moderate education minister, Simon Birmingham, who said he was “happy with the recommendation”.
11.19pm BST
Word from north Queensland is that Bill Shorten is heading to Mackay this morning, to visit the third school within three days.
He is getting quite a good run in the press up there with the Townsville Bulletin’s headline this morning “Bill Shorten says he’s the only one who cares for North Queensland”.
11.14pm BST
Fact Check is fired up over at the ABC and today it is asking: Do two-thirds of negative gearers earn under $80,000?
This argument is central to the government’s case that Labor’s policy will hurt “ordinary” people and that is why the Coalition will not be changing negative gearing.
[Kelly] O’Dwyer is exaggerating.
Fact Check has previously looked at what negative gearers earn in checking a claim made by treasurer Scott Morrison in March this year.
11.04pm BST
Bill Shorten wanted to debate Malcolm Turnbull in Townsville, where Shorten has been set up the past few days.
Shorten:
I’m disappointed the people of Townsville did not get to hear what Malcolm Turnbull has to say.
11.01pm BST
From the Malcolm Turnbull campaign trail:
Dawn, Sydney home for a night-PM Turnbull campaigning in Sydney this morning @bkjabour @murpharoo @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/XQAS3V21SL
Where's the Turnbull bus heading this morning? NORTH. We're heading North over the Harbour Bridge. #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/WPkpZ7Vccj
The Turnbull bus is winding its way west on the M2 Hills motorway for the prime minister’s first visit to the heartland, western Sydney, home to seven marginal seats including Lindsay, Macquarie and Macarthur, all Liberal-held, and Greenway, Werriwa, Parramatta and McMahon, in Labor hands. Where the bus will stop we don’t yet know. “All in good time,” Turnbull’s people are saying.
10.55pm BST
The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, on Radio National straight after Tony Burke to say the superannuation changes are definitely not retrospective. He says there will be consultation on the plan but it will go to the “practical implementation” of the plan, “not the substance”.
There is no retrospectively, the change here applies to future earnings in excess of $1.6m, if you have savings in superannuation you can transfer to your retirement account.
We are changing the tax on earnings on savings in excess of $1.6m and we are doing that prospectively, we are not taxing past earnings, we are not taxing capital.
Given it’s a lifetime cap it does take past contributions into account, only applies prospectively from budget night, there is a $500,000 cap on after tax contributions and that is per individual.
Given it’s a lifetime account, contributions since 2007 dictate whether you can contibute more or whether you have reached the cap.
Obviously, we have to continue to explain what we are doing and why, we want to better target tax concessions in superannuation. The purpose of tax concessions is to encourage people to save more which replaces or supplements the pension, not as a vehicle for wealthy people to get tax concessions.
This is not open-ended opportunity to put all of your savings in an account that attracts no tax whatsoever, that is not fair.
Preferencing arrangements in the Liberal party are a matter for the national campaign director. What I would say is there is a real risk of a return to the bad old days of a Labor-Greens government, the risk to the economy, the risk is to the AAA credit rating, the risk is to the sustainability of the budget, the risk is to jobs and growth, and the risk comes from a return to a Shorten-led Labor-Greens government.
10.35pm BST
The opposition finance spokesman, Tony Burke, has been on Radio National’s AM program where his zinger is “you know it’s an election when Malcolm Turnbull is in western Sydney”.
Talking about whether resources are being stripped from marginal seats and redirected to Grayndler, where the Greens are giving Anthony Albanese, a hard time Burke goes on the attack over the supposed preference deal.
There’s no doubt that the agreement that’s in place between the Greens and Liberal party makes a number of our battles tougher, the ‘Michael Kroger deal’ is all about the Greens getting some extra seats in parliament and Malcolm Turnbull remains prime minster.
It says it applies from 1 july 2007, when you want to know whether something is retrospective when start date is 2007 that’s a pretty strong start pointing for retrospectively.
The moment you have children going through with better skills and finishing high school you get the 2.8% growth [in the economy]. When the government says [growth over] 10 years, it doesn’t start until after the end of 10 years of bringing down corporate rate. It’s 1% growth by the time Malcolm Turnbull is in his 80s.
The government has chosen to give $50bn to big companies at expense of providing money that is needed at schools and at last election they promised they would deliver to schools.
10.10pm BST
BuzzFeed has quite an interesting story from the heady days of Tony Abbott’s prime ministership. Mark Di Stefano has got hold of a selfie of staffers and a Channel 10 cameraman drinking in a pub and joking about going on a “bender” in a dry community.
Raises lots of questions about how the remote community visits were run and attitudes inside the PM’s office as well as in the press gallery.
According to one person on the message thread who spoke to BuzzFeed News, it left people ‘completely shocked and appalled’.
‘I mean, they were in a dry community with big problems with booze and family violence,’ they said. ‘They are supposed to be visiting and listening to Indigenous people and finding out about the problems facing them. It looked like a big joke to them.’
10.05pm BST
The NSW state Greens MP is feeling good about the party’s chances in Grayndler
At state level Grayndler is represented by Greens (Balmain,Newtown). Sydney by Independent & Greens (Sydney,Newtown) https://t.co/nd9J0FXBo3
10.01pm BST
Has the election campaign outlived its useful purpose? That’s the question Lenore Taylor is asking after trailing Malcolm Turnbull for the past few days.
Journalists – apart from the few questions allowed by each leader at their daily doorstop – are really becoming for the most part just added extras in an elaborate pantomime, unless there is a ‘gaffe’. And of course the absolute need to avoid such ‘gaffes’ gives the campaign organisers on both sides even more incentive to make sure no actual debate, no real discussion, intrudes on the whole contrived circus.”
But that view regularly looks pretty ridiculous.”
9.53pm BST
A glance at some of the front pages, the election campaign is starting to fall off the front but there are still issues that should be at the forefront of our leaders’ minds:
Sydney Morning Herald front page. Wednesday 11 May, 2016. @smh #Election2016 #ausvotes #ausvotes2016 pic.twitter.com/gdazheeGSO
The Courier Mail front page. Wednesday 11 May, 2016. @couriermail #Election2016 #ausvotes #ausvotes2016 pic.twitter.com/cggtoj42E5
The Australian front page. Wednesday 11 May, 2016. @australian #Election2016 #ausvotes #ausvotes2016 pic.twitter.com/AqyOi5Zz82
9.47pm BST
Time flies when you’re having fun
@murpharoo @bkjabour Wow there's already only 7 + 1/2 weeks to go! #ausvotes #auspol
9.46pm BST
ABC reporting Malcolm Turnbull is not making any announcements over next few days because “the campaign is still in its infancy”.
9.39pm BST
More on the Daily Telegraph’s endorsement of Anthony Albanese in the seat of Grayndler:
It reports Albo has heard from Liberals that they are going to preference the Greens in his seat in exchange for the Greens doing “open tickets” in other seats and not preferencing Labor, a story which has been kicking around since Tuesday and has had various levels of denial from both sides. The Tele’s rationale for supporting Albo is it does not want a “radical who wants to overthrow capitalism” in his place.
Daily Tele has done up "solemn pledges" for the leaders about not doing deals with the Greens pic.twitter.com/k6RJvdHTvH
9.24pm BST
In the last election the Palmer United party received 11% of the vote in Queensland and 5.49% across the country – certainly not to be sniffed at. But we have witnessed the at times slow motion, at times swift, demise of the party over the past three years and Clive Palmer is not running in his Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax. So where will those votes go?
To independents and other minor parties, according to the Australian, which quotes the Griffith University political pundit Paul Williams.
The PUP supporters from the 2013 election came from both the major parties; they were angry, it was a pox on both of your houses. And they are unlikely to go back at this election with the current leadership — the personal ratings of [Malcolm] Turnbull and [Bill] Shorten show they are not vote magnets. At this stage, most of the PUP will go to minor parties sympathetic to the Right and populist independents.”
9.10pm BST
Welcome to day three of the campaign. Apparently there has been some controversy about whether Sunday, when Malcolm Turnbull went to the governor general’s house to ask for parliament to be dissolved, was day one or day zero. Katharine Murphy and I both agree day one is the first full day (Monday) so consider it settled. Murphy will be with you from 8.30am and in the meantime, let’s launch in to the day.
HEARTBREAKING: @AdamBandt saying on 7pm news that @billshortenmp can say "tell them they're dreaming well sometimes dreams come true."
Because it’s about dollars, and dollars are allegedly short, it’s about a suite of competing priorities and I would argue ... that it’s about time defence did some chook raffles and sold tea towels.
My theory – and this is why I have stayed in education for over 30 years – I believe if we had better educated people and more active citizens then we might have less violence and less need for all the patch-ups that occur.”
Good old Tony, if I was in the trenches that’s who I would want beside me.”
Government should be so easy in this prosperous, orderly country. But it is remarkably hard. Parliaments are short. Leaders don’t last. Power is fragmented. This is the land of unfinished political business.
Each election campaign is much like the last. Only the faces change.”
Bowen is one of those Labor frontbenchers who speaks with the confidence and authority of someone who has recently done the actual job in government – he was after all, however, briefly, Labor’s last treasurer before the 2013 election defeat.
Scott Morrison, by comparison, has had three jobs in three years and still talks like he has left his freshly painted framework of policy principles out on the back verandah to dry off.”
Albanese is one of the best ‘retail’ politicians in the parliament. They are much in demand by their respective sides to campaign in the marginal seats. But each is having to spend more time than is ideal defending his home turf.
Front page of The Daily Telegraph. Tele endorses Albo to stop loony Greens in Grayndler #auspol pic.twitter.com/uhzO14Ckb2
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