Australian news and politics recap March 27: Peter Dutton outlines election pitch in Budget reply
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Key Events
Dutton: Australia is only great if governed well
The Opposition Leader starts with a glowing take of Australia, calling it “the best country in the world”.
“We cherish this country because it affords opportunities like no other,” he says.
“But only – and I stress this point – if we’re governed well.
“When Australia is governed badly, dreams and ambitions become beyond reach.
“And that’s what’s happened during the last three years under the Albanese Government.”
Police forcibly break up protests at Turkish university
Wild scenes erupted at a Turkish university today as students gathered to continue protesting the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
AAP’s Robert Badedieckreports police potentially reignited tensions after two days of relative calm in Turkey’s biggest anti-government protests in more than a decade.
Student demonstrators tried to march early on Thursday, gathering to read a statement near the gates at Middle East Technical University, pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV and local media reported.
But they were met by security forces who deployed pepper spray, water cannons and rubber bullets.
“My student friends only wanted to make a press statement, but the police strictly did not allow it, this is the result,” Melih Meric, a legislator with the Republican People’s Party or CHP, was seen saying on social media videos.
The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was jailed on corruption charges.
The government insists the judiciary is independent, but critics say the evidence is based on secret witnesses and lacks credibility.
Read the full story from AAP reporter Robert Badedieck here.
Peter Dutton set to give Budget reply speech
The Opposition Leader will be giving his Budget reply speech at 4.30pm AEDT.
tay tuned and we’ll bring you all the latest, live, right here.
ANALYSIS: Coalition leader needs x-factor to counter Labor promises
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton must land one of the most pivotal speeches of his political career on Thursday night as he presents an economic blueprint that will determine the fortunes of his election campaign.
With Labor chalking up a string of financial relief promises that are now cutting through to struggling voters, the Coalition Leader has faced mounting calls, within and outside of his own ranks, to bring his own substantial cost-of-living package to the table.
Whatever new economic policies are revealed in Mr Dutton’s post-Budget address must contain the X-factor to deliver some 20 seats needed to oust Prime Minister Anthony Albanese from power.
The Coalition believes it has a vote winner in its offer to save motorists about $14 a week by halving fuel excise for a year, pitched to counter Labor’s $5-a-week tax cut from 2026, which the Opposition has pledged to overturn.
But fevered speculation that the Prime Minister will call the Federal poll on Friday, which Mr Albanese has allowed to percolate, was already threatening to snatch the wind from Mr Dutton’s sails on Thursday afternoon as he prepared to address the nation.
Top polling experts say he faces a turning point and must deliver the goods.
Read Nicola’s full analysis here.
MPs receive bullets in the mail, threats on the rise ahead of campaign: AFP
More than 700 threats have been made against federal politicians and their offices, dignitaries and high office holders in just seven months, with the federal police revealing some offenders have “sent bullets in the mail”.
With the election due to be called for either May 3 or May 10 as soon as tomorrow, AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw shared some “sobering information” with Senate estimates.
As of February 28, there have been 712 reports of threats to high office holders, federal parliamentarians, dignitaries and electorate offices this financial year. He said at this rate, the threats by the end of June will surpass the 1009 reports in 2023-24.
“The politicians who have been targeted are across the political spectrum, live throughout Australia and are of different faiths,” he said.
“A lot of these threats are directed at male politicians and high office holders, including cases where offenders have sent bullets in the mail.”
He described the nature of threats and comments directed at female parliamentarians and high office holders as “particularly troubling”, with much of the offensive material featuring derogatory language about their appearnace.
Some material also contains “extremely violent themes, including threats of graphic, sexual violence”, he said.
“These threats, which are being made online or are being sent in the post or over the phone, are sometimes also directed at their children.”
He said free speech “does not extend to freely expressing how they plan to kill someone or sexually assault them”.
Six men have been charged in the last 13 weeks in five separate incidences of threatening parliamentarians. One man has been charged for allegedly threatening a politicla organisation.
Awkward: Dutton in unfortunate ‘slip of the tongue’
Peter Dutton has fumbled his praise for new WA Liberal Leader Basil Zempilas.
Jess Page reports the Federal Opposition Leader was asked about the Liberals’ leadership switch on morning radio this morning - two days after Mr Zempilas was elected leader, unopposed, at a party room meeting.
Peter Dutton’s praise for new WA Liberal Leader Basil Zempilas briefly missed the mark when he mistakenly said the former Perth Lord Mayor had a “dearth” of business and political experience.
“Just congratulate Basil publicly for his ascension to the leadership of the Liberal party,” Mr Dutton said on 6PR Mornings.
“I think he’ll be great for the Liberal Party and great for WA and he’s got a dearth of experience in business and obviously government, at a local level, so I think he’ll do a great job.”
Mr Dutton’s office later confirmed it was a slip of the tongue.
“He misspoke. Of course he meant to say ‘wealth’,” a spokeswoman said.
Dutton’s fuel tax cut pledge a gamble that might just work
In an opinion piece for The Nightly, Mark Riley writes that Peter Dutton has resurrected the go-to sweetener for Liberal leaders in electoral trouble, promising Australians a fuel tax cut.
“It has been used many times and worked once,” Riley says. “That was 24 years ago. Even then, it only worked to an extent.
“With the election likely to be called for May 3, Dutton hopes it will do the job for him this time.
“And it might.”
Read Mark Riley’s full opinion piece here.
PM’s eager bureaucrats call election early
Anthony Albanese’s own Department has been forced to apologise over an errant social media post which put the Federal Government into caretaker mode for four minutes.
The post, on the Prime Minister and Cabinet department’s X profile, said the Government was operating in accordance with caretaker conventions, pending the outcome of the Federal election — which has not yet been called.
It comes amid fevered speculation around Parliament House that Mr Albanese will call a May 3 election on Friday.
When he does, only then will the Government move into caretaker mode — where no major decisions or appointments can be made.
Prime Minister and Cabinet officials appeared before Senate estimates shortly after the post was deleted and issued an apology for the confusing mistake.
“We are trying to work out why this occurred, we apologise for the error,” PMC officials told Senators
“Obviously this is an error. It was up for a period of four minutes.”
Fall from grace complete as ex Lib leader admits supplying drugs
Former South Australian opposition leader David Speirs has pleaded guilty to charges of supplying drugs to two people, committed while he was still the leader of the state’s Liberal Party.
Speirs, 40, appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court this morning, where his counsel told Magistrate Brian Nitschke that agreement had been reached with prosecutors and the “matters have been resolved”.
The former MP entered guilty pleas to two counts of supplying or administering a drug (not cannabis) to another person.
Outside court, Speirs said he had wanted to “bring the matter to a conclusion as quickly as possible”.
“That’s the best thing for me at a personal level, and that’s why I’m taking this approach,” he said.
“I am focused on moving through this process as quickly as possible and that has influenced the approach that I’m taking.”
The matters have been listed for sentencing submissions on April 11.
What happens when an election is called?
Our very own Dylan Caporn has filed a great explainer on what the actual process is when it comes to calling an election date.
