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

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Brisbane today with Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Minister Mark Butler and Labor’s Candidate for Dickson, Ali France.

They will visit the Murrumba Downs Medicare Urgent Care Clinic

The first event of the day will include Ms France, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s electorate rival, as Labor takes the healthcare battle to the Liberal’s backyard.

Terminally ill patients should be able to receive voluntary assisted dying advice remotely regardless of whether Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton rules the roost post election, a peak body says.

The Australian Medical Association is calling for the next federal government to change the criminal code to allow doctors across the country to provide voluntary assisted dying services via telehealth.

Under the code, it is illegal to use a carriage service to promote suicide and the Federal Court ruled in 2023 that the ban also extended to voluntary assisted dying services.

As such, doctors who advise patients about voluntary assisted dying via telehealth, email or phone consultations can face criminal charges.

AMA president Danielle McMullen said the ban could have a major impact on rural and regional Australians who might have to travel to cities for medical services.

“It also disadvantages patients who are physically unable to travel for face-to-face consultations, even at relatively short distances, due to their medical condition,” she said.

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Brisbane is the focus of the first weekend of the election campaign, with the leaders of all three major parties wrangling for seats lost to the Greens in 2022.

The rush to the rain-soaked Queensland capital is a reminder that every vote counts in this year’s closely fought election, with polls consistently showing a minority-led government or even a hung parliament.

The city produced a surprise breakthrough for the Greens in 2022, when it stole the seat of Griffith from Labor and the seats of Brisbane and Ryan from the Coalition, and both major parties hope to claw back enough support to reinstall their candidates.

The Greens hold Ryan by 2.6 per cent, Brisbane by 3.7 per cent and Griffith by 10.5 per cent and all three parties are throwing resources at the inner-city seats to pave their path to power.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who launched his bid for the nation’s top office in the rain-soaked Queensland capital on Friday, reinforced his party’s economic promises to struggling families and businesses on Sunrise on Saturday morning.

“We’ve got to help people in the short term,” Mr Dutton said, contrasting the Coalition’s pitch to offer an immediate 25 cent a litre reduction in fuel to Labor’s tax top up of $0.70 a day in 2026.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who arrived in Brisbane on Friday with the travelling press corps, is also expected to campaign in the city on Saturday.

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“Our task is to inspire people and to make sure that we can lay out our vision for our country’s future,” Mr Dutton told Weekend Sunrise.

“The nuclear discussion is, you know, not one that people have taken on board before, but it’s right for our country.

“I have to, as Prime Minister, make tough decisions that are important for our country.

“Energy is the economy and Labour’s destroying it with renewables only plan.

“So we have to have short term support, which is what we’re doing with the fuel excise cut. We have to have gas in place, which is going to help electricity prices come down in the near term. And then the long term, you know, century building opportunity for our country, is this will underpin our economy for the next 100 years.”

Mr Dutton was asked why he had gone quiet on his nuclear plan while making his case on Saturday, saying he has not gone cold on the idea.

“It’s interesting to watch what’s happening around the world at the moment. The Labor Party in the UK have just announced that they can’t reach net zero by 2050 without nuclear, and that’s true in our country as well.

“We need cleaner fuel, cleaner energy. We need to make sure that we’ve got cheaper energy.

“We’re paying three times the cost for electricity campared to other countries at the moment.

“That’s what’s smashing families.

“I want to make sure that we’ve got reliable power as well. That’s exactly what nuclear does.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Australians need help now, adding they can’t wait for Labor’s relief.

“We’ve got to help people in the short term,” Mr Dutton said on Sunrise.

“Over the last 12 months, we’ve just had the biggest number of small businesses that have failed in our country’s history.

“A lot of families are really doing it tough. So we need to provide support in the short term.

“The Prime Minister is saying, well, in 15 months time, he’ll give you $0.70 a day in a tax cut.

“Our plan is to provide a 25 cent a litre reduction in petrol and diesel and unleaded prices.”