Neil Mitchell says some of the PM’s colleagues think anything under a 10-seat majority is a failure; Tony Abbott tells Sky News ‘national security has played almost no part in this campaign’. All the developments with Katharine Murphy
2.02am BST
Speaking of Melbourne, Greens leader Richard Di Natale has spent the morning campaigning in the electorate of Batman with candidate Alex Bhathal and Darebin councillor Angela Villella. He’s in the suburb of Reservoir, which has a strong Italian community, and Di Natale speaks to many voters in Italian, explaining how-to-vote cards and explaining Greens policies.
@murpharoo Di Natale with voters in Batman today. pic.twitter.com/hviwtENjff
1.58am BST
My colleague in Melbourne, Calla Wahlquist, who, unlike me, has followed the in’s and out’s of the dispute over the last several weeks.
Joe Buffone's resignation could not come at a worse time for Labor. Those crucial marginal semi-urban seats surely a lost cause now.
1.48am BST
Sticking with Melbourne, the CFA’s chief fire officer, Joe Buffone, has resigned this morning in the latest twist in the fire fighting dispute in the state. The Liberals have capitalised on this dispute throughout the campaign. As well as the day-to-day politicking, leaflets have been distributed throughout the state declaring “Labor wants to had the CFA over to its union bosses”, with pictures of Bill Shorten and Daniel Andrews. “Hands off the CFA, Send Labor a Message.” The controversy has made life more difficult in Victoria for Labor over the past eight weeks. The Liberals have been training significant fire power on holding their marginals in Victoria, and using the CFA SNAFU to bolster their case.
1.39am BST
Sounds like thinks are lively at a Greens press conference in Melbourne this morning. I don’t have a direct feed of that but I’m sure Melissa Davey will keep us up to date.
"It's all bullshit" and "what are you going to do for the pensioners" - two separate senior citizens interrupting Greens presser @murpharoo
1.35am BST
I know we are not at the end, but there’s a couple of things that need to be said about this campaign. Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition’s campaign this time has changed some of the time honoured rituals of Australians elections. I want to pause on this thought for just a minute. I won’t be comprehensive here because this is a very big subject, but I’ll attempt to start a conversation.
The Coalition’s campaign has departed from the norms in the following ways. The prime minister has done very few print media interviews. Normally a prime minister would do a round of the papers in week one and in the closing week. That’s always been considered an important part of agenda setting in politics. But not this time. I suspect that says a lot about the changing media environment, and the atomisation of the media market. Print used to set the agenda. It doesn’t consistently anymore. Now there are many voices, chattering constantly, all capable of influencing the news cycle. Take for example, Bill Shorten has done an interview this morning with the Sydney Morning Herald, but it hasn’t kicked into the news cycle at all. I didn’t even notice it until someone told me it had happened, and I follow politics and the coverage of politics with an intensity bordering on obsessional. All the anti-Labor antics by the Daily Telegraph this campaign aren’t really driving the national coverage either, apart from suggesting a line for talkback radio hosts in Sydney. It all just flutters like confetti. The change of approach this cycle isn’t just about small target politics (although it certainly is that), it is about structural change.
1.02am BST
Meanwhile, in Melbourne.
My Mum’s going to be rapt.
This man is very excited to get a selfie with Greens candidate for Batman, Alex Bhathal. @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/Myqzpg4oYN
12.56am BST
A couple of quick insights into people who have already voted. As of Tuesday evening, 1.795m Australians had voted pre-poll, which accounts for 11% of the total electoral roll. The proportion of voters who have pre-polled varies significantly between states, with only 5% of voters pre-polling in South Australia, compared with 14% in both Victoria and Queensland, which have now commenced school holidays.
Queensland and Victoria are also the only states where over 10% of the electorate has applied for a postal vote. Over a quarter of the population in these two large states has either voted pre-poll or applied for a postal vote. The equivalent statistic for New South Wales is just under 18%. Clearly school holidays are having an impact.
12.50am BST
The final question in the Territory FM interview was would he legislate for voluntary euthanasia? No, the prime minister said, in an answer surprising no one, except the host, who seemed a little disappointed.
12.43am BST
Malcolm Turnbull:
If you want a strong Coalition majority government after Saturday then the only vote is for Liberal, National or in the case of the territory, Country Liberal candidates.
12.39am BST
The prime minister has now bobbed up on Territory FM, in an effort to support the Coalition’s candidate Natasha Griggs, who he dutifully name checks.
12.29am BST
Given Neil Mitchell raised it in such clarion fashion let’s pause on the subject of leadership just briefly.
I’ve taken the view throughout the course of this election that I will do readers the following favour: I will desist from gratuitous leadership speculation in favour of focussing on the policy contest and the battle of ideas. But I will address it now, hopefully once, and my aspiration here is to be comprehensive.
12.08am BST
Sorry for the channel surfing. Back briefly to Bill Shorten’s interview on ABC AM. That conversation eventually turned to Labor’s bete noir – people smugglers. Shorten dismissed the claim that, if Labor is elected, there will be a message that Australia has changed policies, which will embolden people smugglers: “No, that’s the Liberal party talking points.”
Michael Brissenden asked how Labor’s policy will be more compassionate, and why Labor had not ruled out a New Zealand settlement solution. Shorten replied: “I don’t believe you need indefinite detention, and that you can’t have regional processing as the price to combat people smuggling... When it comes down to fighting criminal gangs in South East Asia and lure people onto boats so they can drown at sea, they’re not getting back into business. And they can test Australian politicians’ resolve on this but I believe both Labor and Liberal are equally committed to that.”
12.00am BST
A question on the CFA dispute and milk prices. The CFA question is an opportunity to kick Daniel Andrews and Bill Shorten. Turnbull says his deputy Barnaby Joyce is on to the milk problem. There is no doubt Murray Goulburn mishandled how they communicated about prices to their members, Turnbull says. He says part of the problem is a global milk glut.
Mitchell asks about airport security in the wake of the Turkey bombings. It’s under constant review, the prime minister says. Mitchell thinks not many people will go to Gallipoli for commemorations. You’re right, the prime minister says.
The commentary is for the commentators.
I wish every Australian the best of health.
11.46pm BST
Neil Mitchell asks if the budget emergency over. The prime minister says he wouldn’t use that sort of language and the Coalition is terrific when it comes to budget management. Mitchell thinks there’s very little difference between the Coalition and Labor is hardly worth mentioning.
Q: Are we stuck with this higher level of spending?
11.42pm BST
Mitchell asks Turnbull does he guarantee to deliver marriage equality if the voters say yes.
Malcolm Turnbull:
There is nothing more certain than that.
11.40pm BST
The prime minister is on 3AW and Neil Mitchell goes in like a freight train, which is his MO. Marriage equality plebiscite first.
Q: Will you tell you own people to settle down? Will you tell Cory Bernardi and people like him to watch it, to settle down?
Cory Bernardi has been represented as saying more than he has.
11.32pm BST
Good morning everyone and welcome to Thursday. I have lots of thoughts to share as we enter the final three days, but I will have to sprinkle them throughout the day. The pace right now is too brisk for contemplation.
As Helen’s early coverage (with welcome heavy lifting from Paul Karp) makes clear, Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten got up in the dark to blitz the airwaves, an aural assault that will continue throughout the day. Let’s take stock before we push on.
11.30pm BST
It’s been a busy morning already, with no signs of letting up. Katharine Murphy is in the house, ready to take you through the rest of today.
Until tomorrow.
11.28pm BST
Margetson notes Darwin is losing residents as major projects (like the Inpex plant) shed jobs and the city’s boom declines.
Turnbull: “If you’re concerned about there not being enough investment in Darwin, the Labor party alternative will be to put the handbreak on investment and growth by increasing taxes on investment, by increasing taxes on capital gains, by banning negative gearing, and by taking the most anti-business ,anti-enterprise, of any Labor party for generations.
11.23pm BST
A quick interruption while Helen stays with the PM.
Bill Shorten has appeared on ABC’s AM with Michael Brissenden, who asks whether Labor has over-reached with its negative campaigning over Medicare.
Shorten replied: “It’s not that our campaign is negative, but what the government wants to do to Medicare that is negative ... Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t rely on Medicare like many people do.”
11.22pm BST
Turnbull rejects the idea that NT political scandals (of which there have been many and some I’ve covered), might have hurt the reelection chances of CLP MP Natasha Griggs. People are “politically wise enough” to know the difference, says Turnbull, not even remotely defending the NT government.
Griggs is “a powerful and compelling advocate for the NT”, says Turnbull. Margetson grabs the segue: “she wasn’t a powerful and compelling advocate for you. In fact she supported Tony Abbott.”
11.17pm BST
Gonski reforms, Indigenous issues, are what matters up here says Margetson. Will he maintain support for Indigenous issues, will he retain the portfolio within the department of prime minister and cabinet?
“Yes absolutely and I demonstrated my commitment to Indigenous affairs and indeed the advancement of Aboriginal people by attending myself at the Kenbi land title handover. One of the longest land claims in our history was finally settled with the Larrakia people. That was a very moving historic moment, and I was there. I was there with the Larrakia people as we did that.
11.15pm BST
“Is the call because you are concerned about holding [the seat of] Solomon?”
ABC Darwin host, Richard Margetson opens his interview with the PM by noting his recent rash of calls to regional radio stations in marginal areas.
11.06pm BST
Shorten is ducking straight over the ABC’s AM program, but Turnbull is also about to hit the airwaves in Darwin. Warren Entsch has also responded to recent utterings by Coalition members on the plebiscite,
We will bring all this to you, because with our powers combined, the Guardian Australia team laughs in the face of time constraints.
10.53pm BST
Tony Windsor has given an interview to ABC News Breakfast, and it starts with a defence of a tweet that Peta Credlin makes a nice cup of tea. Host Virginia Trioli said she interpreted it as a sexist put-down.
Windsor claims it was sincere: “It was meant as a compliment. One of the things I remember about Peta Credlin quite well, actually, and Tony Abbott during the negotiations in the 17 days when we were negotiating the formation of the minority government was that she always made the tea. And she made a very, very good cup of tea.”
10.52pm BST
Jones: Should young apprentices be exposed to a construction industry culture “the likes of which ere exposed in the Heydon royal commission?”
Shorten says the royal commission didn’t go to a lot of the issues in the construction industry like health and safety and fair pay.
Shorten dismisses leadership chatter:"It's not surprise..that in the last couple of days the kitchen sink gets thrown at you" #2GB #ausvotes
Jones said the job of a leader is to rally the base, hence the geniality to Shorten and the meh to Turnbull #ausvotes
10.49pm BST
We’re onto corporate tax cuts now, which Jones is suggesting could lead to more investment, more jobs, and then more tax revenue from those new employees.
“The big benefit of corporate tax cuts will go to mining companies who have already made the investment, and they’ll go to big banks... All it does it go to their profits and bottom line.”
10.47pm BST
It seems every candidate is everywhere this morning. The Guardian team is on the case. Tony Windsor has just popped up on ABC News24, and my colleague Paul Karp will bring you an update shortly. Here’s a teaser.
Tony Windsor defending saying that Peta Credlin makes a mean cup of tea. Not sexist, just true, he tells @BreakfastNews #ausvotes
10.40pm BST
Jones asks about Shorten’s 2013 plebiscite comments to the ACL, Shorten returns with what he said yesterday - changing public opinion, the Irish experience, wasting $160m. Jones agrees.
Onto Medicare, which Jones says Shorten has “invested with the same status as Phar Lap and Anzac Day”.
10.30pm BST
Labor does believe in reducing debt but Shorten isn’t going to promise something which relies on measures which will never pass the parliament, he says in response to a ‘why more deficit’ question.
“The way you build growth in this country is you lead people with you, you don’t leave people behind. This is not the time to hand back taxes to people who earn a million dollars a year.”
10.24pm BST
Jones asks the same question he did of Turnbull yesterday - essentially that there is a big deficit and won’t somebody think of the children, saddled with the debt of our greediness and extravagance.
“I’m deeply conscious about what happens to the next generation of Australians. We’ve got a plan to pay down govt debt over the next 10 years, but what I also know is that I want everyone’s children go to well-funded schools. I want to see real action on climate change, I want to make sure they grow up in an Australia where it’s your Medicare card not your credit card that determines the quality of health care you get. I think when we talk about the future of this country we do have to have very sensible, steady budget management. But we also need to make sure that we’re putting in place the building blocks to ensure that we aren’t the last generation, Alan, who received a better inheritance from the previous generation - we don’t want to become the first generation who becomes hands on a worse set of living standards and lower social fabric.”
10.19pm BST
Bill Shorten is on air with Alan Jones this morning. Jones is asking what’s caused the shift away from Labor in the polls.
“I think our issues are actually biting and we are very competitive,” Shorten says. “I think this is a very close election.”
10.12pm BST
We are starting to get a picture of what ‘respecting the result of the plebiscite’ means to Coalition members who are otherwise not in support of marriage equality.
Murph has had her ear to the wireless this morning.
Steve Ciobo on News Radio says he'll "respect the view of my constituency" on same sex marriage #ausvotes @heldavidson @Paul_Karp
10.02pm BST
Some more from Abbott’s interview last night.
It was a broad discussion, including on the speculation he’s after a top Cabinet job. Abbott said he’s content as the member for Warringah.
.@TonyAbbottMHR describes Senate obstructionism as the 'real Americanisation' of Australian politics #ausvotes https://t.co/rLGmGKliPZ
9.38pm BST
Good morning, everyone. It’s Thursday, but I think I might just have the hang of this one.
All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others.
.@TonyAbbottMHR says border security has been 'just an intermittent visitor' in this campaign #ausvotes #pmlive https://t.co/3AkcgfW8nO
If you want to make sure we have a government that looks out for working- and middle-class families, not just the big end of town, then you need to vote Labor,” a campaign spokesman said.
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