Australian news and politics live: Albanese dodges nature positive questions as he doubles down on renewables

Anthony Albanese has vowed to “continue to look for savings” while ruling out cuts that “hurt people”.

Both Labor and the Coalition have pledged tens of billions in taxpayer dollars to fund their campaign commitments, prompting a caution from global analysts that Australia’s AAA credit rating was under threat no matter who won Saturday’s election.

With the last budget forecasting $178bn in deficits over the coming four years, the Prime Minister said on Thursday he had not given up on surpluses and that he “didn’t promise to deliver a surplus” but ended up delivering two.

“And this year’s deficit is $27bn but that’s almost half of what was anticipated,” Mr Albanese told Sky News.

“So we’ve worked really hard on budget savings, over $100bn that we’ve delivered during this term.”

Pressed on whether his government could get the budget back in the black, Mr Albanese said he would not “speculate”.

“We’ll continue to look for savings where they’re appropriate, but not savings where they hurt people, and savings where they will have a negative effect on the economy,” he said.

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Opposition leader Peter Dutton has predicted a Labor egos “meltdown” if the party is returned to government on Saturday.

Speaking with Chris Smith on Radio 2SM, Mr Dutton was asked if Anthony Albanese and himself should walk if there party isn’t successful at the election.

While the Liberal leader batted away questions about himself, saying he’s confident he would win, he highlighted a potential leadership jostle that could engulf Labor next term.

He said Jim Chalmers, Tony Burke, Tanya Plibersek, and Richard Marles would be eyeing to take top spot.

“Anthony Albanese won’t serve out three years of he’s re-elected, that much is obvious,” he said.

“Jim Chalmers and others are biting at the bit.

“If the Prime Minister loses on Saturday night, then Jim Chalmers is just one step closer to his ambition.

“But then there’ll be an unholy row between him and Tanya Plibersek.

“And don’t forget Tony Burke and Richard Marles fancies himself.

“You’ll have Penny Wong out there talking about how quickly they can implement the Voice.

“It’ll be a typical meltdown from the Labor Party and that’s going to come this term anyway.”

When asked if he would walk from leadership if he had a poor showing at the polls, Mr Dutton said he needed to “save our country from three more years of Labor”.

“From my perspective, Chris, we’re going to win the election on Saturday,” he said.

“We’ve put in the hard work, we’ve been an incredible, united opposition.”

Overnight, new figures showed the US economy went backwards by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter. Does the PM worry about a recession at home? And does he think the US President has “lost the plot”?

The PM wanted to stay close to home to start with, saying his Government has presided over growth in every quarter since they came to office.

He went on to attack his opponent.

“I’m optimistic about Australia’s future. I want to not just talk us up, but raise us up as a nation,” he said.

“Peter Dutton spends every waking moment trying to talk Australia down, trying to divide Australians, and that does nothing for confidence in the economy - which is so important.”

As for the US, he said it will “present challenges to the global economy”.

“I said on the day that President Donald Trump made his (tariff) announcement: this was an act of economic self-harm. I firmly believe that,” he said.

With that, the press conference finished, with Mr Albanese heading to Adelaide for his next round of campaign stops.

Anthony Albanese turned again to energy, addressing a question about predictions on gas shortages along the east coast in a few years.

“We need more supply, it needs to be done in a sustainable way,” he said.

“On gas, on the day of the election, in 2022, gas was $34, today it’s $13. We have mandated the gas code of conduct. We changed the Domestic Gas Security to ensure that we can intervene to ensure supply domestically,” he added.

WA Premier Roger Cook also jumped in.

“I can speak for Western Australia, where I say that we understand and know that gas will provide a very important fuel as part of the clean energy transition,” he said.

“That’s why we’ve continued to make sure we support our oil and gas industry, not only to reap the rewards of providing gas to their overseas customers, but also to make sure we’ve got energy security in Western Australia,” added Mr Cook.

“And a hallmark of successive Labor governments in Western Australia is to implement a domestic gas reserve, to ensure that local industry and local residents or households have access to affordable, reliable gas.”

Mr Albanese was asked what he would say to voters who believe Labor’s offering lacks ambiton.

The Prime Minister said Labor have - during a difficult time globally these last three years - tackled inflation without a rise in unemployment while also providing cost-of-living relief.

He went on to list policy milestones in education, childcare, and aged care.

“I don’t pretend to be a revolutionary. I’m a reformist - putting in place reforms and making a difference for Australians,” he said.

Mr Albanese was asked about revelations that Donald Trump’s campaign chief, Chris LaCivita, had been in Australia advising the Liberal party.

Peter Dutton has flatly denied he had any contact with him.

“How does it strike the PM that the Liberal Party may have been getting advice from a Trump mastermind, and what role more broadly has the US president played in his campaign?” the PM was asked.

Mr Albanese said he’s been focused on Australia, but he’s been concerned about some of the positions put out during the campaign.

“The campaign of the Liberal Party has become more right-wing under Peter Dutton, that’s the truth of the matter. Peter Dutton has had different positions, sought to raise culture war issues, and under the Liberal Party has lost (moderates),” he said.

“Will the last moderate in the Liberal Party turn the lights off? That is what’s happening.”

He went on to lament the loss of big-name Liberal moderates.

Anthony Albanese said Labor is taking “nothing for granted” when asked about the prospect of minority government after Saturday’s poll.

“What I’m about is maximising our position,” he said.

“No Prime Minister has been re-elected in this country having served a full term since 2004 and we have a mountain to climb,” he says, conceding it will be difficult to be re-elected.

“My job is to go out there, put forward the policies that we have. The Australian people will vote, and we’ll see what happens on Saturday.

“But I think we’ve run a positive campaign. We’ve run a clear campaign,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese has brushed off a question about homophobic comments made by Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale’s father.

The comments were reported in the Nine Newspapers on Thursday.

The PM said he doesn’t “talk about people’s family”.

“Jerome Laxale is the candidate, and he’s a great candidate for Bennelong,” he said.

Pressed again by the reporter if he condemns the comments, Mr Albanese said it is “beneath” the journalist to ask the question in the first place.

“People’s families should be kept out of it,” he said.

“It’s beneath you to ask whether I support homophobic comments, because of course I don’t.

“Frankly, it’s offensive you’re even suggesting it,” the PM says.

He went on to say he’s more concerned about members of the Exclusive Brethren handing out fliers for the Liberal Party.

The PM was asked whether Australians would be thankful for his claim of being slightly better off than under the Coalition.

“It has been a difficult time for governments around the world,” Mr Dutton said.

“We’ve had the biggest global inflation issue since the 1980s and the biggest energy crisis since the 1970s, we’ve had to deal with that.”

Labor has also had to deal with the economy in the wake of the COVID pandemic and its impact on supply chains, the PM added.

He argued they have still been able to raise wages for aged care workers by 20 per cent, and raise the minimum wage three times.

“We know that people have been doing it tough what that’s why we took the difficult decision” to change the legislation on tax cuts, he added.

With all the conversations about the Voice to Parliament in the last few days, the PM was asked what happens to truth-telling and treaty if he gets a second term.

He said the focus is on “practical reconciliation”, pointing back to a speech he gave at the Garma Festival last year after the referendum failed.

“It’s about economic empowerment, it’s about practical ways to close the gap. That is what I’m focused on,” he said.