Australian news and politics live updates: AFP Commissioner won’t reveal when he briefed PM on terror plot

“It’s been a great honour to meet these service personnel and to Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Mitchell, who has shown us around here today from the barracks and for his team, they are doing extraordinary engineering work.”

“As we have been here, we’ve seen the rolling-out of the immediate fixing of this bridge (ourside Townsville), so that supplies can get through.

“Now, that’s just stage 1, stage 2 will be to put in a temporary bridge so that people will be able to move up and down this highway, but, importantly as well, we need to build back better.”

The PM has also announced a relief package to assist farmers and local buniesses to get back on theor feet.

“This morning we also announced that we’re co-funding disaster loans for North Queensland farmers, small business andnot-for-profits,” Mr Albanese said.

“Loans have been activated for Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, PalmIsland, Townsville and Yarrabah and will provide up to $250,000 for eligible primary producers and small businesses and to provide up to$100,000 for eligible not-for-profits, so they can re-establish themselves by covering costs.”

The Prime Minister has announced an inital flood relief package for residents and businesses affected by the flood crisis.

“We’re announcing $8 million, co-funded community relief fund, providing up to $1 million for the Local Government Associations, eight of them, that are impacted by this flooding event.”

“This will provide councils with financial assurance that they need to get on with the business of cleaning up and making their communities safe.

“From 2pm today, we’ll be activating the Australian government disaster recovery payment.

“This provides $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for children who, for affected people in the localities of Cardwell and Giru and the local government area of Hinchinbrook.

“This funding is to help people who have suffered serious damage or injury as a result of the the floods and to help with the recovery.”

Anthony Albanese is in north Queenland and has praised the local communities for their resilience in the face of the terrible flood crisis.

“At the worst of times, what we see is the best of the Australian character,” Mr Albanese said.

“And here, what we see is Queenslanders, whether they be emergency services personnel, whether they be our police and Fire Services, the volunteers through the SES and, of course, our Australian Defence Force personnel, particularly those based at the barracks here in Townsville.

“Right throughout Australia, we’ve had choppers come from Oki and Townsville and what we’re seeing here are through three levels of government and the community is working together to get through what is a really tough time.”

Cost of living and interest rates will be one of the major talking points during the federal election and Peter Dutton was pulling no punches when addressing Labor’s fiscal management.

“I want to get inflation down. Which is how we get interest rates down and how we get other cost pressures down as well, it’s food that’s up by 12 per cent. It’s rents up by over 17 per cent.

“All of that is as a result of the inflation that’s in the economy at the moment and if we want to bring downward pressure on those costs, as the Reserve Bank Governor points out, the Government has to stop spending money.

“Australians aren’t stupid.

“They’re not falling for this, you know, Jim Chalmers’ smoke-and-mirrors trick. I want to manage the economy.

“In the Howard government, we were able to clean up Labor’s mess when Hawke and Keating left and we will clean up Labor’s mess again.”

Peter Dutton has told reporters that the increase in public service jobs under the Labor government will come under scrutiny if they win the election.

“We’ll make announcements in relation to our policies in due course but I do note that there are 36,000 additional public service jobs, that brings the public service up to over 200,000.

“That’s much higher than in the Rudd-Gillard years.

“It adds significantly and I just don’t find any Australians who say that it’s easier to deal with the Government as a result of employing 36,000 more public servants.”

Peter Dutton has been asked about the Coalition firming into favouritism with bookmakers to knock over Labor at the federal election.

“I think we can win the election because of a number of reasons, “ Mr Dutton said.

“One is that I think we’ve demonstrated to the Australian public in the last 2.5 years that we’ve been a united team.

“Second point is that a first-term government has not lost since 1931 and the unions will unleash millions of dollars of spending, the CFMEU, despite what they say, will put money into third-party campaigns and it will be tough, so we’re the underdog in this campaign.

“I haven’t seen the odds so maybe you can put a dollar - not each way - but put a dollar on for me and we can split it at the end.”

“We’ll sign up to targets that we believe are in our country’s best interests,” Mr Dutton said.

“I do believe that as we get toward 2050, particularly with nuclear coming in in 2035, that that will allow us astep change, which has been the experience in other countries, which is why many people on the left and many greens around the world are supportive of nuclear power.

“It’s zero emissions and provides the base load required to firm up the renewables in the system and if you don’t like fossil fuels and green hydrogen is not a reality and the battery technology is not as far advanced as you would want, then I think you’re starting to run out of options.

“Which is why Labor’s negotiating to extend the life of coal-fired power stations at the moment.”

“In relation to the actions of the Americans, I don’t believe that the Americans have any intent to act outside of international law,” Mr Dutton added.

“I don’t think the President, from what I’ve seen is talking about forcefully moving people.

“I would wait to see the detail of what is released as the discussions continue on, not just with the Israelis, but obviously with the near neighbours, Jordan and Egypt and others, in relation to what role they can play and I suspect President Trump, rightly, has an expectation that not just America, but that other countries will contribute to the reconstruction so that people can get their lives back and hopefully Hamas can be crushed.

“In terms of the President’s statements yesterday, and what can be said, I think the first point is that we want to see more hostages released.”

“When you see the vision of those young girls coming out from that tunnel network, having been in there for months with listed terrorist organisation members, it’s horrifying to think what they would have gone through and thank goodness they’re out now, so hopefully more people can be released.

“If that is part of the work that the Trump Administration is doing - which, of course, it is - then that’s fantastic work and whatever leverage can be applied to bring people out of a hostage situation back to their families I think is a good thing and if we can see a plan which has peace and stability restored to the region, then would I support that? Yes, of course I would.”