Australian news and politics recap April 30: Albo deflects campaign lying claims by targeting Dutton’s record

The Prime Minister has detailed his government’s investments in Medicare and health services, positioning them as central to Labor’s agenda.

“That’s why I’ve been campaigning to strengthen Medicare, everywhere,” Mr Albanese said.

“The biggest-ever investment in bulk-billing, so more GPs bulk-bill every patient, every time.

“Bringing the cost of PBS medicines down to just $25 a script, the lowest it has been since 2004.

“And freezing it at just $7.70 for concession card holders for the rest of the decade.

“Opening another 50 new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.

“This will mean, by the middle of next year, four out of five Australians will live within 20 minutes of a clinic.

“And in every clinic, every Australian will only need their Medicare card.

“And a new 24-7 telehealth service – 1800 MEDICARE. Free, trusted health advice just a phone call away.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has used his National Press Club address to criticise the former Coalition government, arguing that Labor is still addressing the problems it left behind.

“And we know the risk and the cost of a reckless and wasteful Liberal and National Government – we are still cleaning up 10 years of their mess,” he said.

“As I said at the time, it was always going to take us more than three years to clear away the chaos and dysfunction that the Liberals left behind.”

Mr Chalmers has also taken a dig at Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor, saying “I don’t come across a lot of people who take Angus Taylor seriously”.

The Treasurer was responding to a reporter relaying a statement by Angus Taylor, that attempted to equate the time to repay Australia’s government debt to attending a three hour Taylor Swift concert, seven days a week for 158 years.

“Now we know why they haven’t released their costings,” Mr Chalmers said.

“They’re spending all of their time coming up with that kind of rubbish, and that’s why nobody really takes them seriously.”

The Treasurer was also asked if the Charter of Budget Honesty, introduced by then Treasurer Peter Costello in 1998 should be updated to force campaigning parties to release costings at the time they are proposed.

Mr Chalmers said it was “quite unusual” that the Coalition have been making announcements without” coming clean on on the cost of those policies.“

“What the Coalition is attempting here, it’s very sneaky. They want to skate through all the way to the election or as close as possible without coming clean, and I think that speaks volumes about the approach that they’re taking,” he said.

“Peter Dutton says he won’t come clean on that until after the election, and that should send a shiver up the spine of every Australian.”

The Prime Minister will be making a speech to the Press Club in Canberra at 12.30pm AEST.

We’ll bring you all the latest from that speech and the Q&A session afterwards.

The Treasurer has used the press conference to pre-empt the the release of Coalition election costings due later today, claiming the “costings will be full of holes”.

“The reason they haven’t released their costings yet is because they don’t want to come clean on the savage cuts that they will need to make to pay for their nuclear reactors and what that means for Medicare or pensions and payments,” Dr Chalmers said.

“Keep an eye out for some dodgy assumptions around productivity, pumping up their numbers. Keep an eye out for the three black holes that we found already when it comes to their dodging costings on long lunches, mortgage deductibility and petrol excise as well.”

Dr Chalmers also responded to reporter questions about his optimism heading into the last days of the election.

“To be able to say as a Labor Treasurer, three days out from an election, that we have got inflation down substantially, real wages up, kept unemployment low, got the debt down, interest rates coming down, growth is rebounding solidly,” he said.

“With everything that the world is throwing us, I think every Australian can be proud of the progress we’ve made together on Labor’s watch.”

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.”