Cost of living takes centre stage on campaign day two — as it happened

30 Mar 2025 10:34am

'You can't spend a dollar twice': Paterson on tax increases

David Speers asks Paterson about plans to push the tax rate higher.

Speers: "The Liberal party's meant to be the party of free markets and lower taxes. Here you are intervening in the gas market, you want to break up supermarkets and potentially break up insurance companies and this week we saw you from now opposing lower personal income taxes, you want to push the tax rate higher ... why [is] the Liberal Party is promising to increase personal income taxes and are you comfortable with that?"

"You can't spend a dollar twice," Paterson says.

"We're not honest to the people saying we can do it all. We have a plan of reduce petrol now. Not wait 15 months to provide people a 70 cents a day tax cut."

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 10:32am

Paterson responds to PM's price-gouging ban: 'We've got a better plan'

James Paterson says the prime minister's plan to impose fines for supermarkets found to be price gouging "has not survived three questions or three minutes".

"He said he will ban it, but he can't tell you what it is," the Coalition's campaign spokesperson tells Speers.

Albanese said earlier this morning that Labor would "crack down" on price gouging if re-elected.

Speers asks Paterson whether he thinks price gouging should be illegal, and Paterson says the Coalition is "happy to make it illegal".

Speers: "Why didn't you do it? You were in office for nine years."

Paterson: "We've got a better plan, David. We've got a plan to introduce targeted divestment powers for the supermarket industry, so if they abuse market power, stifle competition, we can have that last resort power, which will be a very tough incentive. The prime minister has nothing to accompany his policy. No enforcement. He won't contemplate divestment."

— Alex Gallagher

30 Mar 2025 10:29am

Coalition says wholesale gas prices will drop, but can't promise concrete figures

The PM was closely followed on Insiders by James Paterson, the Opposition's home affairs spokesperson and Coalition campaign spokesperson. They get straight into gas and energy.

Paterson says the Coalition expects a reduction in the wholesale price of gas from diverting gas supply, but won't divulge how much the retail price will drop.

"We referred to the analysis in terms of the price-per-gigajoule about $14 now, we say it will get down to $10. We won't make a specific house promise," he said.

"We're not planning on a dollar figure on how much your personal bill also goes down."

Paterson said the Coalition had been working on the plan for more than a year, and modelling would come soon.

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 10:04am

PM on defence spending: 'You can't defend Australia on a media release'

Turning to defence spending, Albanese defends his government's strategy.

"We've put $57 billion additional defence investment over the next 10 years. And what you need to do is not to have a magic figure. What you need to do is talk about the assets that you need, and that's why, when we came to office, having replaced a government that had more than $40 billion of announcements with no actual funding there for them — you can't defend Australia on a media release.

"What you need to defend them on is the purchasing of missiles, the purchasing of mobile HOMARS program, of which we've already seen delivered, the first couple of mobile vehicles that can deliver high-strike weaponry in our defence."

Speers asks if the current spending is enough to defend Australia right now.

"We have overcome a circumstance where, when we came to office, our naval fleet was the lowest it had been since the Second World War," Albanese responds.

"What we are doing is investing. We are investing serious amounts, based upon the serious review that we put in place.

"We are investing in the assets that we need. Now, some of them are coming online. You can't make a decision one year and then launch the ship the next year ... We have a plan to use defence manufacturing as well to build up our capability in other areas."

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 10:00am

PM on Dutton 'photo copying policy ideas' from Trump: 'People will draw conclusions themselves'

Speers asks Albanese whether it's helpful to "use Donald Trump as a political weapon against your opponent".

"I'm not," Albanese responds.

Why Donald Trump is 'someone we can't avoid' this election

Speers then asks the PM directly about whether Peter Dutton is copying Trumpian policies with his proposal to cut public service workers.

Speers: "What about his policies on job cuts?"

Albanese: "Sacking public servants. Where is he borrowing that from? I'm not the commentator, you are."

Speers: "You are suggesting he is photo copying..."

Albanese: "I’m not the commentator, you are."

Speers: "You are the prime minister."

Albanese: "People will draw conclusions themselves when they see mass job cuts. When he's talking here, David, about 41,000 public servants, he is talking about the 15 people who are working out of a caravan in Hervey Bay providing support for people in flood relief.

"He is talking about the extra public servants. We've put $13 billion into Veterans' Affairs because there was a queue of 42,000 men and women who had worn our uniform who weren’t getting the entitlements that they deserve. And some of them passing away while that occurred. Now, we’ve got that queue down. He is talking about the emergency management authority that has people right around Australia, that has people right now, in Queensland, working, helping in those floods."

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 9:54am

PM tight-lipped about new housing measures

When asked about housing, Albanese says: "You will have to stay tuned in the next five weeks, David."

David Speers asks if there will be "something on housing next week.

Anthony Albanese replies: "No, what we do, David, is we will also be backing in the announcements we've made already, bearing in mind this, David: The former government didn't bother to have a housing minister for half of the time that they were in office."

"What we have are plans for increasing social and affordable housing. There is more than 28,000 homes that have been either in planning or construction through that fund, through the Housing Australia Future Fund and through our social housing. We have our build-to-rent scheme to encourage private rentals and we have, importantly our Help to Buy Scheme that will encourage home ownership."

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 9:47am

New YouGov polling suggests a high likelihood of a hung parliament, with Labor slightly ahead

New YouGov polling suggests that if an election were held today, Labor would end up with an estimated 75 seats in parliament, ahead of the Coalition's 60.

The polling also found Labor took 50.2 per cent of the vote in a two-party preference, with the Coalition trailing behind slightly at 49.8 per cent.

What is a minority government? And is it bad for Australia?

Taking it to the primary vote, the Coalition has 35.5 per cent of the vote, Labor with 29.8 per cent, the Greens with 13.2 per cent, One Nation with 9.3 per cent and independents with 8.3 per cent.

But the polling says it's more likely we'll get a hung parliament — YouGov has estimated a 38 per cent chance of a Labor majority government should an election be held today, and a 61 per cent chance of a hung parliament.

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 9:45am

Energy prices 'more than halved on our watch', says Albanese

When asked about energy prices, Anthony Albanese says Labor has "secured six times more gas than what Peter Dutton committed to securing on Thursday night".

"What we've done is make a difference. Gas, when we came to office, the spot price was around $30. Today, it's $13. It is more than halved on our watch because of the measures that we have put in place."

He also said the government already effectively had a gas reservation: "We've actually put in place through the changes that we made to the security mechanism, a system whereby we can direct gas companies to secure domestic supply. We put that in place."

David Speers asked: "Are you saying that is effectively a gas reservation policy?"

Albanese replied: "Well, effectively it is. If it's needed. The government has the power to do that."

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 9:42am

PM says Dutton will 'always appeal to the darker side'

In the final question from Speers, Albanese is asked whether he can win the upcoming election.

"Yeah, I do," Albanese said.

"I think that Australians, when faced with a clear choice between Labor, building Australia's future and providing immediate relief, and Peter Dutton's plan for cuts, we will support the government and we will want a positive agenda going forward."

"Peter Dutton will always appeal to the darker side. I want to be optimistic and positive about Australia's future. Together, Australians have made incredible progress and I want that to continue."

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 9:41am

Albanese says he can 'rely' on Donald Trump ahead of 'American Liberation Day'

On Donald Trump ahead of his so-called 'American Liberation Day' on Wednesday, Anthony Albanese said he had "engaged very constructively" with the Trump administration on whether Australia will be affected by more tariffs, and says he can still "rely" on Trump.

"We are putting Australia's case. Tariffs are an increase in price for the purchase of the goods and services, so they impose increased costs on American buyers," he said.

"They don't change the price structure here in Australia. We believe in free and fair trade. The US enjoys a trade surplus with Australia. We are pointing that out very clearly."

When asked by Insiders host David Speers if he could "rely" on Trump, Albanese said: "I believe we can. I've had two constructive discussions with Donald Trump and I will continue to engage constructively."

"We regard the United States as a friend and partner and we have been able to rely on them for a long period of time."

—Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 9:25am

PM promises 'heavy fines' for supermarket price gouging

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised to "crack down" on supermarket price gouging if Labor is re-elected.

"We will introduce legislation making price gouging illegal by the end of this year," he said on the ABC's Insiders program.

"What we want to make sure is that they [supermarkets] know that they're being watched. They know that the government is prepared to take strong action and crack down."

What to know about the looming supermarket price-gouging review

If Labor wins the 3 May poll, Albanese said he would establish a taskforce consisting of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), treasury and consumer groups, and is expected to report back to the government within six months with recommendations.

He added that the government would give "heavy fines" for any supermarkets found to be price gouging.

"We will fine them with heavy fines. Heavy fines to make sure they know that if they're ripping people off, then they are in the gun to pay a heavy penalty for it."

— Alexandra Koster

30 Mar 2025 9:11am

Peter Dutton floats revisting Indigenous recognition in Constitution

The Opposition leader has told The Australian newspaper he wants to revisit adding a preamble section to the Constitution for Indigenous recognition if there is "common ground" in the form of bipartisanship.

Peter Dutton was a leading figure in the No campaign for the failed referendum last year for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to the Parliament to advise on policies affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

But according to the paper, he still wants to pursue the preamble option, along with set four-year parliamentary terms.

One of Dutton's continual attack lines against the prime minister is that he wasted time during the cost of living crisis focusing on an unpopular referendum.

— Anna Henderson

30 Mar 2025 9:08am

Welcome to our live coverage

Welcome to our live coverage of the second full day of campaigning in the 2025 federal election.

We have reporters on the campaign trail with both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton.

Follow the latest from across the SBS network on our Election 2025 hub.

— Amy Hall

Cost of living takes centre stage on campaign day two — as it happened

Supermarket prices, defence spending, Donald Trump and referendums dominated the second day of the federal election campaign.

'You can't spend a dollar twice': Paterson on tax increases

Paterson responds to PM's price-gouging ban: 'We've got a better plan'

Coalition says wholesale gas prices will drop, but can't promise concrete figures

PM on defence spending: 'You can't defend Australia on a media release'

PM on Dutton 'photo copying policy ideas' from Trump: 'People will draw conclusions themselves'

READ MORE

PM tight-lipped about new housing measures

New YouGov polling suggests a high likelihood of a hung parliament, with Labor slightly ahead

READ MORE

Energy prices 'more than halved on our watch', says Albanese

PM says Dutton will 'always appeal to the darker side'

Albanese says he can 'rely' on Donald Trump ahead of 'American Liberation Day'

PM promises 'heavy fines' for supermarket price gouging

READ MORE

Peter Dutton floats revisting Indigenous recognition in Constitution

Welcome to our live coverage

previous

2of2

next

Cost of living takes centre stage on campaign day two — as it happened

Supermarket prices, defence spending, Donald Trump and referendums dominated the second day of the federal election campaign.

'You can't spend a dollar twice': Paterson on tax increases

Paterson responds to PM's price-gouging ban: 'We've got a better plan'

Coalition says wholesale gas prices will drop, but can't promise concrete figures

PM on defence spending: 'You can't defend Australia on a media release'

PM on Dutton 'photo copying policy ideas' from Trump: 'People will draw conclusions themselves'

READ MORE

PM tight-lipped about new housing measures

New YouGov polling suggests a high likelihood of a hung parliament, with Labor slightly ahead

READ MORE

Energy prices 'more than halved on our watch', says Albanese

PM says Dutton will 'always appeal to the darker side'

Albanese says he can 'rely' on Donald Trump ahead of 'American Liberation Day'

PM promises 'heavy fines' for supermarket price gouging

READ MORE

Peter Dutton floats revisting Indigenous recognition in Constitution

Welcome to our live coverage

previous

2of2

next

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