Australian news and politics recap: Anthony Albanese forced to defend spending, foreign diplomacy

One of the questions that stumped both leaders in last night’s debate was the cost of a dozen eggs.

Anthony Albanese said about $7 while Peter Dutton guessed $4.20. The true price was between $8.50 and $8.80.

But the Prime Minister refused to go on the attack when asked this morning what he thought that said about his opponent.

“I think, importantly, he doesn’t know the price of Australian values right across the board,” he says, avoiding the egg price question.

“Those sort of things can happen. That’s the truth… So I’m not going to add an explanation.”

Mr Albanese famously had a number of brain fades himself during the 2022 election campaign, forgetting the inflation and unemployment figures.

He goes on to say the thing he hears repeatedly about grocery shopping at the moment is that “people are struggling to find eggs on the supermarket shelf”.

Health Minister Mark Butler also backed Anthony Albanese up when criticising Mr Dutton’s plan, arguing that the Coalition policy risks “the entire Department of Health disappearing.”

He made the comparison with the Trump administration’s targeting of the health services.

“It is no coincidence … that these ideas are being floated by Peter Dutton within weeks of swathes being cut through the US Department of Health, within a fortnight of one in five jobs being cut in the US Centers for Disease Control,” he said.

The PM has fired up when asked about the Coalition’s planned cuts to the public service, charging that it shows the Opposition is not fit for government.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last week confirmed his plan to reduce 41,000 public service jobs, with exemptions for frontline services, would only apply to Canberra-based jobs.

The policy has flip-flopped from an earlier focus on job cuts to a reduction by natural attrition and the strategy of how to do so remains unclear and has raised questions about whether it would be possible without hitting frontline or security-related roles.

The PM took aim at the policy in his press conference, accusing the Coalition of putting Australian veterans and defence and national security at risk, as well as impacting services for future emergencies.

There are 68,000 public servants in Canberra, he says, questioning how a 41,000 cut would be possible.

“This would have a devastating impact on gutting the capacity of the Australian Government to serve the Australian people, and it’s just one example of how they are just unfit,” he said.

“In an uncertain world where there is volatility, the last thing you need is a volatile government that can’t agree on its own positions on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

During last night’s 7News leaders’ debate, Anthony Albanese said he didn’t think Donald Trump had a mobile phone – despite the US President’s social media habits and the many photos of him clutching a smartphone.

Asked this morning whether the fact he hadn’t been able to call the president since the tariffs were imposed was a failure of government, Mr Albanese said “not at all” but conceded he doesn’t have an informal channel to contact Mr Trump either.

“I don’t have Donald Trump’s number. I didn’t have Joe Biden’s number,” he said.

“It’s not the way it works between the Australian Prime Minister and the US President. There are formal processes (that) take place.

“I’ve had two very warm conversations with President Trump.”

Anthony Albanese was asked about the intention of all governments to end violence against women and children within a generation.

He said the truth is that what’s happened so far isn’t working.

“We’re not doing well enough as a society,” he said.

“Governments can take action, but it’s a whole of whole-of-society problem. We need men as well to have conversations with each other, to call it out when they see unacceptable behaviour, to address it.”

He went on to speak at length about the television show Adolescence and how it depicts the role of social media in radicalising young boys.

The Coalition has also swiftly announced this morning that it too would fund the same central coast domestic violence service.

Peter Dutton said in a statement issued as the Prime Minister is addressing media that it highlights the Opposition Leader’s personal commitment to address family and domestic violence.

“As a former police officer who attended numerous domestic violence call-outs, I know the trauma and lifelong impacts that can occur as a result of these horrific crimes,” his statement said.

“A Government I lead will be focused on delivering real change so that families, women and children are safer and we work toward reducing the impact of family and domestic violence.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton “can’t be trusted” with the nation’s health system, Health Minister Mark Butler claims.

Labor has run an effective scare campaign on Medicare as it repeatedly takes aim at the Opposition on it as a key plank of its bid for re-election. Mr Butler made clear this will remain a target in the final sprint to the finish.

“The problem Dutton faces is he has a track record that he must wear. And last night, Peter Dutton, in his own words, explained why he can’t be trusted with Medicare,” said Mr Butler, referring to the final leaders debate on Sunday evening.

“He tried to abolish bulk-billing altogether. He said he did it to make Medicare more sustainable. Well, that’s simply not right.

“What he wanted to do was make Medicare more American, and he explained in the final week of this campaign why he cannot be trusted with the health of Australians and with our most important social program, Medicare.”

The Coalition has rejected the suggestion it will threaten Medicare and has matched Labor’s pledge for an extra $8.5b to boost bulk-billing.

The PM has rejected the suggestion that his Government has been weak on social welfare after being asked about reports that job seeker payments are inadequate, leading to poor health outcomes.

“We did increase the level. We did increase the rate,” he says.

“I make this point as well that one of the things that we have done is to provide opportunities for career paths into jobs,” he says, referring to free TAFE making “an enormous difference” in opening up those opportunities.

He says over 1 million jobs were created in Labor’s first term, which also saw the lowest unemployment rate of any government in 50 years.

Anthony Albanese is announcing $20 million for a women’s and children’s trauma recovery centre in Gosford on the NSW Central Coast to help people recover from the trauma of abuse and violence.

“We must end the scourge of violence against women. It is too many tragedies,” the Prime Minister says.

“One death is too many, but we see time and time again, violence against women having an impact.”

His visit to the bellwether seat of Robertson is the first time either leader has been to the electorate this election. For more than 40 years, whichever party has won the seat has won the Federal election.

Labor MP Gordon Reid holds the seat with a slim margin of 2.2 per cent.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton says his ideal democracy sausage must have barbecue sauce and well-done onions.

Speaking on Gold FM breakfast radio on Monday, he was asked how he takes his sausage sizzle on election day.

“I normally go (with) a bit of barbecue sauce and onions. I like onions well done,” he said.

“And that’ll be the money shot for the media.”

He joked about the infamous photo of former Labor leader Bill Shorten biting a sausage sizzle from the middle rather than at the end.