Australian news and politics live: Albanese deflects campaign lying claims by targeting Dutton’s record

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is fronting the media following the release of inflation data that revealed the RBA’s preferred measure - trimmed mean - is safely in the range for a rate cut.

This is a powerful demonstration of the progress Australian have made together,” Mr Chalmers said.

“This is proof of the responsible economic management which has been a defining feature of this Albanese Labor Government.”

The inflation data, released by the ABS today showed headline inflation held steady at 2.4 per cent annually to March, while the RBA’s preferred trimmed mean rate dropped sharply from 3.3 per cent to 2.9 per cent.

“That shows the progress that we have made together. Labor is delivering lower inflation, lower taxes, higher wages and ongoing help with the cost of living.

“Peter Dutton and the Coalition go to this election with a policy or higher taxes, lower wages, no ongoing help with the cost of living and savage cuts to pay for their nuclear reactors,” Mr Chalmers said.

He’s talking about the latest inflation figures.

We’ll bring you all the latest as it drops.

A Reserve Bank rate cut on May 20 appears locked in after underlying inflation fell below 3 per cent for the first time in three years.

Headline inflation held steady at 2.4 per cent annually to March, while the RBA’s preferred trimmed mean rate dropped sharply from 3.3 per cent to 2.9 per cent, signaling sustained progress toward its target.

These figures have increased market confidence that the Reserve Bank may cut interest rates as early as May.

Housing, education, and food prices were the main contributors to inflation over the past year.

Read the full story here.

Asked about Donald Trump’s comments overnight that he’s aware the Australian Prime Minister has been trying to get in touch, Peter Dutton has cracked a joke relating to Anthony Albanese’s bizarre claim during the debate at the weekend that the US President didn’t have a phone.

“It’s an amazing revelation but refreshing to know that President Trump has a phone,” Mr Dutton says, before switching to a more serious mode.

“I want a functioning relationship between the US president and the Australian prime minister, it’s in our country’s best interests,” he says.

“Clearly, it’s not the case at the moment, but I want to make sure that we have the best relationships possible with all of our international partners, including the United States.”

Peter Dutton says the Coalition is working “day and night between now and election,” and obviously in Victoria, where he is currently campaigning.

“This is a crucial election for our country, and it’s a crucial election for Victoria as well,” he says.

“Victorians know how bad a long term Labor Government is, and a second term Albanese government would resemble an Allen government,” he says, referring to struggling Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen.

“That would be bad for the national economy. Would be bad for Victoria.”

Peter Dutton has attacked Penny Wong’s comments on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, after she hinted on a podcast the issue had not yet been put to bed.

The Opposition leader said people would be opposed to that stance because they had already “sent a very clear message to the Prime Minister” by rejection the proposal in the 2023 referendum.

“I know there are a lot of Australians who really feel that this government – even though they were Labor voters and probably they voted Labor all of their life – that this government has really let them down,” he said.

“You see Penny Wong out there at the moment talking about the fact that the Voice is inevitable.

“So under a Labor-Greens government, we see the secret plan to legislate the Voice and Penny Wong’s let that cat out of the bag.”

Peter Dutton goes on to say he would not back any type of legislated Indigenous Voice body.

He claims twice that legislating a Voice, treaty and truth-telling “would be one of the first items of business for a Labor-Greens government”.

Mr Albanese has insisted the Voice was “gone” as a proposal.

“Say no to Labor because they didn’t hear it the first time when people voted against the Voice,” Mr Dutton said.

Peter Dutton has been asked about how to tackle the scourge of mental ill health among young men and whether masculinity social media influencers should come under closer scrutiny.

“I think it’s a really good question, and I think there’s many parts to it,” Mr Dutton said.

“There’s certainly an influence through gaming and the violence and the sexualised nature of some of that content.

“Algorithms and big media companies have a lot to answer for in relation to this as well.”

Mr Dutton says he has spent much of his career “fighting back against Facebook and others for the content that they allow kids to consume online, both young boys and young girls.”

He adds that everybody, including parents, has a responsibility “to make sure we can educate our children to deal with online.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has confirmed that none of his proposed cuts to the public service will come from the nation’s security services.

Labor has repeatedly said his pledge to reduce the public service by 41,000 will impact national security by targeting intelligence agencies including ASIO and the ASD.

Asked if this was the case, Mr Dutton said a blunt “no.”

He sidestepped a question about whether spending on private consultants for government would be higher or lower under the Coalition, replying that, “what we’re going to do is spend taxpayers money wisely.”

Mr Dutton pointed to Australians being forced to work second and third jobs.

“I want to make sure that their tax dollars that they’re working hard for are spent wisely, and we’ll do that in relation to all aspects of government expenditure.”

The latest inflation figures are due to released in a little over half an hour, updating how much prices rose by in the quarter and year to March.

Yesterday, Peter Dutton was asked if he knew the current inflation rate and he cited the trimmed mean number from the last monthly CPI release, rather than the headline rate the Government prefers, which is lower.

Today he’s asked if a CPI figure lower than the 2.4 per cent of the December quarter would vindicate Labor’s economic success.

“Well, let’s hope that CPI comes down, because interest rates have risen on 12 occasions under the Government, they’ve only come back once,” he replied.

“And we know that a big-taxing Labor-Greens government, if they’re elected on the 3rd of May, that will be a disaster for the economy, because I want to deliver our positive plan, which will bring interest rates down, because we’ll be able to bring inflation down, because the Liberal Party is always a better economic manager.”