Australian news and politics recap April 2: Howard says US President Donald Trump ‘not a real conservative’

Chinese state media has accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of ‘beating the drums of war’ in an editorial that also backed in Anthony Albanese’s stance on the Chinese ‘spy’ ship in Australian waters.

The ​editorial column​comes after a furore erupted around the presence of the Chinese research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao, which is near Australia’s exclusive economic zone and has the ability to scan the country’s critical undersea cables.

The Global Times accused media outlets of publishing reports on the issue that had become “increasingly exaggerated”.

It said the accusation that the vessel was a spy ship was “nothing more than unfounded speculation” and backed Anthony Albanese comments, writing he “spoke the truth”.

The masthead turned on Mr Dutton, saying the timing of the vessel’s visit during an election campaign was the “real reason” that he had been “beating the drums of war”.

Read the full report ​here​.

PM Anthony Albanese has labelled tariffs an act of “economic self harm” and reiterated the need for the diversification of Australian trading relationships.

It comes as United State’s President Donald Trump has said a new tariffs regime will be announced on April 2 (7am AEDT on Thursday) in what he has trumpeted as “Liberation Day”.

It’s unknown what if any Australian exports will be impacted.

“I don’t want to pre-empt the decision that’s made by the United States in the coming period,” the PM told reporters in Burnie, Tasmania on Wednesday.

“What I can say is that, we’re prepared for all possibilities going forward.

“I repeat what I’ve said before, which is that tariffs are an act of economic self-harm.

“It increases the costs for buyers in the United States of America.”

He said, however, the United States represented under five per cent of our exports, but Australia was worried any of Trump’s changes to other nation’s trading links would “diminish global growth” as a whole.

“we will continue to diversify our trade relationships. We’ve done that over the last few years, not in anticipation of action by the United States, but because one of the lessons of the trade issues that were there with China,” he said.

PM Anthony Albanese has promised a comprehensive health hub in the battleground State of Tasmania as he continues to present Labor as the best choice for Australians health.

The proposed health hub in the State’s north-west will offer a comprehensive suite of services, including playgroups, family care, domestic violence support, pharmacy, pathology, general practitioners, and a Medicare mental health centre.

“This will be an area where people can come and go through different services as well, get advice,” he told reporters in Burnie on Wednesday.

“This fantastic community in the north-west, and I am so proud of my government will provide support for this facility.

“I was asked yesterday ‘you mentioned healthcare a few times in this campaign - is just for a week?’ No, stay tuned.

“We will about be talking about health right through to the 3rd of May but more importantly, we will deliver on health after the 3rd of May.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is speaking in Burnie, Tasmania, out on the campaign trail with Health Minister Mark Butler to spruik his Medicare plan and Urgent Care Clinic network expansion.

The trip marks the first to Tasmania since the Federal election campaign officially kicked off on Friday, however, both the PM and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton travelled to the state during an unofficial shadow campaign ahead of the writs being issued last week.

Burnie is in the federal electorate of Braddon, which is one of three key marginal seats in play in the State, which is shaping up to be a battleground ahead of the May 3 poll.

Mr Taylor remained tight-lipped on where and when jobs will be axed in the public sector under a Coalition Government, saying he wouldn’t reveal the “sausage-making process”.

Peter Dutton plans to cut 41,000 public service jobs, aiming to save $7 billion annually by reducing “back-office operations” and potentially targeting departments like education.

He has also suggested reviewing funding for the ABC and NDIS.

Critics warn this could lead to poor service delivery through increased reliance on consultants, longer wait times for social services, and diminished public service delivery.

“The costings will come out before the election. I’m not going to go through the sausage-making process that is the reality of doing these things,” he said.

“The focus, we’ve said time and time again, is Canberra-based public service jobs in front-line services. That’s the focus. There’s no ambiguity about that.

“The focus is on natural attrition. That’s the emphasis. The important point about this is the public service has got so big under Labor that the attrition numbers are high now.”

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has told the National Press Club that he will release budget costings before the May 3 election.

Giving an address on Wednesday, he promised: “Yes, costings before the election.”

The Coalition has faced criticism by Labor as they have not yet revealed how they’re going to pay for some of their policies.

Mr Taylor says he admires Elon Musk for his Starlink network and that it’s changing the lives of Australians living in regional areas.

“I have to tell you it has changed the way the internet works for me, my family, and people around me,” he said.

“I love innovation that works.

“I think that’s the best work, the very best work that we’ve seen from Elon Musk, and I think many Australians in regional Australia will absolutely back me up on that.”

Telecommunication firms like Telstra have announced “partnerships” with Starlink aimed at bringing direct-to-device (D2D) services to their Australian customers using Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says the Coalition has long and short-term plans to entice voters ahead of the May 3 election.

He said while fixing Australia’s long term energy supply and shoring up our chains wouldn’t happen overnight, the Coalition had a plan for the interim.

“We need to tackle the supply challenges that are holding us back. This requires unlocking investment and cutting red tape, but we know there aren’t overnight solutions,” he said.

“This is why we’ve proposed targeting cost of living relief with the halving of the petrol tax in the short term.

“Our plan is about real relief now, while getting inflation sustainably back on track.”

The Coalition will create a new statutory office within Treasury to streamline and fast-track investment, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor has told the National Press Club.

He said the goal was to create a more efficient, faster, and more coordinated approach to handling large-scale investments, project approvals, and foreign investment screenings.

“Investment Australia will consolidate and streamline investment facilitation across government under a united function with clear leadership that reports directly to the treasurer and a cabinet,” he said.

“It’s about fast tracking investment, not holding it back with bureaucracy.

“Investment Australia will be led by a chair and deputy chair with strong private sector and public administration experience. Its legislative powers will include call in powers to hold regulators and agencies to account for bureaucratic delays on significant projects for our nation, implementing statutory deadlines for approvals and pathways for escalation to cabinet.”

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says voters need to consider whether they’re better off under Labor when they go to the ballot box on May 3.

Speaking to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday he said the Australian dream is now and young families and business owners were facing an unprecedented financial situation previous generations haven’t endured

“The Treasurer likes to argue for his failures as someone else’s fault, but the variable in this equation isn’t global factors, it’s bad Labor government,” he said.

“It’s more student politics than good government.

“Not only is this situation unprecedented and unparallel, is not what Australians experienced under coalition government.

“Australia needs strong leadership, with a steady hand to get back on track and back to basics.

“We will make it our mission to, first beat inflation sustainably, second, repair our housing and energy markets, revive growth through investment and backing small business, deliver targeted, timely tax relief and restore the budget to protect our nation.”