Australian news and politics live: Federal election kicks off as Albanese, Dutton race to secure votes

From Ellen Ransley, who is on the election trail with the Opposition Leader:

Peter Dutton is in the seat of Brisbane today, where he will be holding a press conference with local candidate Trevor Evans at the iconic XXXX brewery.

It’s one of two Greens-held inner-Brisbane seats the Liberals are seriously targeting and hoping to win back after the 2022 Greens-slide.

Greens’ Stephen Bates holds the seat with a 3.7 per cent margin.

Asked if scare tactics and negative campaigning will turn off an already disillusioned voting public, Mr Albanese said he has a positive plan to put the Australian people.

It was Peter Dutton, he said, who was negative.

“They will look at Peter Dutton who has made a whole career out of appealing to the darker side of human emotions.

“His whole career has been built on that.

“His speech - I haven’t seen a Budget speech or a Budget reply that was characterised by that so much as I did on Thursday night. Now, it was up there, yeah.”

Asked whether it is accurate to say Labor hasn’t built a single new home, Mr Albanese says that on Labor’s watch there have been an additional 400,000 homes.

“We have, under construction, tens of thousands of homes under the social housing policy that we’ve put forward,” the PM said.

He went on to blame the Coalition for holding up housing legislation which eventually passed in December.

“Common-sense tells us that if legislation some of which was held up by the Greens and the Coalition for a long period of time - if legislation has only passed - some of our housing legislation was passed in December.

“News flash: If legislation is passed in December2024, then, yeah, in March 2025 there isn’t magically a house built, planning done, approvals done.”

Mr Chakmers adds that, “Peter Dutton is lying when he says that we haven’t been building houses.

“We have, and we would have built more houses if they hadn’t tried to obstruct our efforts in the Parliament.

“So, investment in housing is going up. Net overseas migration is coming down to more manageable levels and that’s because of our efforts.”

Anthiny Abanese says he’s in Dickson because it is “the most marginal seat in Queensland”

“We have in Ali someone who is running for the third time. Ali France is someone who has courage, conviction and is passionate about representing this community.

“I think the community will see that.“

Mr Albanese said she was a “ripper” candidate.

“When I spoke with Ali about running again, I said to her we would put our full resources and there is nothing like that than being here on Day 1.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says this election will be a referendum on Medicare and it will offer a “stark choice” on tax.

“Our budget and our government is all about helping people with the cost of living, cutting taxes, strengthening Medicare and building Australia’s future,” Mr Chalmers said.

He warned urgent care clinics and Medicare were not safe in Peter Dutton’s hands.

“And, nor are the tax cuts that we legislated during the week.

“Peter Dutton will legislate to increase income taxes on every single Australian taxpayer.

“Everything that Peter Dutton says about the cost of living is meaningless when you remember he wants to jack up taxes on every taxpayer in this country, all 14 million of them.

“Here in Dickson, 82,000 people will pay higher income taxes if Peter Dutton wins the election.

“Peter Dutton will come after Medicare like he did last time, he will jack up taxes and he will provide no ongoing relief for the cost of living.

Mr Chalmers said the election came down to a choice between a Labor Government that strengthened Medicare, cut taxes and eased the cost of living or “Peter Dutton with his higher income taxes and his secret cuts to pay for his nuclear reactors.

“He will take Australia backwards and make Australians worse off.”

Health Minister Mark Butler doubles down on the Mediscare messaging.

“For us, bulk billing is the beating heart of Medicare.

“All of our investments in health, more hospital funding, urgent care clinics, the tripling the bulk billing incentive and cheapers medicines are on the line at this election.

“There’s no question about that.

“You’ve got a Prime Minister who’s committed to lower taxes and a stronger Medicare, against an opposition leader who is going to deliver higher taxes and American healthcare where every single person pays to see the doctor.

“On Thursday night, Peter Dutton tried a newer version of the promise he made 10 years ago about cuts to health.

“Might be fancier words but just as hollow as he said in2013 when he said there would be no cuts to health, then only month later, jacked up the price of medicines, got rid of bulk-billing and ripped $50 million out of the whole system.

“A few weeks ago, he said that past performance is the best indicator of action. That’s why doctors voted him the worst Health Minister in history of Medicare.

“People should be in no doubt, he will cut Medicare, no matter what he said on Thursday night just like he did 10 years ago, partly because he favours America’s health care where everyone pays to see a GP, everyone pays as they walk in the front door of an Emergency Department and in part, of course, because he has to find a way to fund $600 billion of nuclear power stations.”

Mr Albanese says Labor created Medicare and will strengthen it.

“Peter Dutton who tried to abolish bulk billing by introducing a GP tax, attacked the health and hospital system with those $50 billion of cuts in the2014 budget, tried to introduce a payment every time people visited a GP, and tried to jack up the price of medicines by $5 as opposed to what we’ve done, which is to bring it back to 2004 levels of $25.

“There’s a lot at stake at this election.”

Anthony Albanese says Labor candidate for Dickson Ali France will give incumbent and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton a run for his money.

“Ali France knows first hand the difference Medicare has made to her life and the life of her family ,the difference the NDIS has made as well.

“That’s why Ali is an amazing candidate here in Dickson.

“It’s a margin with a one in front of it. We intend to run a very serious campaign. If she gets the same swing that she got in 2022, Ali France will join the Labor caucus as a member of the federal Labor government.

“And that’s what we intend to do, because Ali France would be an extraordinary addition to our team.”

Anthony Albanese is holding a press conference in Brisbane, reaffirming his promise on urgent care clinics.

“More than 1 million Australians have benefited from these 87 urgent care clinics that we have delivered.

“We promised 50, we have over-declared, over-delivered. We’re going to deliver at least another 50.

“That’s on top of the $8.5 billion we are funding to triple the bulk billing incentive, to bring the rates up to 90 per cent.”

From Nicola Smith, on the election trail with Anthony Albanese.

Mr Albanese showed he is match fit for the campaign with an impromptu drop in to a local gym in Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson.

Mr Albanese chose the bold move of taking his fight straight to Mr Dutton’s marginal seat, where he will immediately challenge the Opposition Leader on healthcare and Medicare reforms.

The Prime Minister also seized his first campaign opportunity to hug a baby.