Australia election 2025 live: Julian Assange endorses Albanese; Dutton defends Coalition costings and public service plan
WikiLeaks founder endorses Anthony Albanese for PM
Julian Assange has endorsed Anthony Albanese, praising the PM’s efforts to release him from jail.
Assange was detained for more than five years in London, charged with espionage and computer hacking, for publishing classified US military documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
In a statement, he said Albanese “has the backbone to stand up for Australians on other tough issues”.
The truth is, in what became an impressive field of advocates, Albo did more to secure my freedom than any other politician or public figure, even more than the late Pope, whose support was both moving and significant.
Against all expectations for an Australian politician, once elected, he kept his word.
Albanese lobbied former US president Joe Biden at several meetings, pushing for Assange’s release.
Assange wrote:
Albo hasn’t just stood up to the US to end the political imprisonment of an Australian – he’s also intervened for other Australians detained in difficult circumstances, including in China. This government has proven itself unusually capable of rescuing Australians caught up in sensitive political situations.
Does this mean Albo will put Australian interests first and skillfully navigate tensions between the US, EU, and China? I can’t say for sure. But I do know this: He can. Albo did right by me … You don’t need to be a bully to have a backbone.
The WikiLeaks founder was released, and returned to Australia after agreeing to a plea deal in June.
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Labor leads the Coalition 51.5-48.5 on a two-party preferred basis in the latest average. The two-party preferred vote share has been trending for several weeks towards a repeat of the last election.
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You can find more granular breakdowns of the polling, including by demography, on our tracking page.
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Off the back of Taylor’s interview, finance minister Katy Gallagher joins RN Breakfast and absolutely rips into the shadow treasurer.
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At the end of Taylor’s interview, he was asked about comments from ACT chief minister Andrew Barr, who says cutting the public service by 41,000 will leave the territory economy in crisis, which Taylor called an “insult” to anyone who doesn’t work in the public sector.
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Gallagher says cutting 75% of the Australian public service workforce will have an impact.
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I think we just had 10 minutes there of Angus Taylor demonstrating why he shouldn’t be treasurer of this country and why you can’t take a risk on Peter Dutton. He was all over the shop.
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You can’t sack 75% of the commonwealth APS in Canberra and not affect the economy. I mean, you just can’t.
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Following the prime minister, Peter Dutton joins ABC AM to deliver his final pitch to voters.
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Sabra Lane asks where the Coalition’s campaign has gone wrong, when polling shows the party and Dutton have been losing support.
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Dutton says he’s hopeful of a 2019 result (when Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison achieved what he called a “miracle win” against Labor’s Bill Shorten).
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I think we’re seeing a 2019 situation, where you’ve got a lot of interesting contests playing on the ground, where we’ve had a very significant effort by great candidates. And I think there’ll be some big surprises on election night, because people have had enough.
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The prime minister says the “apparent appearance” of an adviser from the US campaign advising the Liberal party is “interesting”.
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Yesterday, Tom McIlroy reported that one of the architects of Donald Trump’s 2024 victory claims he made an unpublicised visit to Australia to advise the Liberal party about “structural issues” related to Peter Dutton ahead of the federal election.
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Sabra Lane asks Albanese whether the Trump factor has assisted Labor. The PM says:
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Well, it is interesting the apparent appearance of one of the advisers to the American campaign from last year boasting about coming to Australia – indeed, arriving on the day of the budget reply, for just a three day visit.
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Lane asks how quickly Albanese will visit the Trump administration if he wins government on Saturday.
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Albanese won’t give a timeline but says:
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At some stage I will, but I will act in a responsible way.
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Anthony Albanese says he has “a mountain to climb” – a line he’s used a lot recently – and implored Australians to vote for stability in a time of uncertainty.
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This morning Peter Dutton has said he believes tomorrow’s result could be a miracle for the Liberal party, like the 2019 election.
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Speaking to ABC AM Sabra Lane, Albanese is asked whether he’s worried this election could deliver a surprise result for the opposition. Albanese says he “certainly take[s] nothing for granted”.
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I think 2019 shows the folly of pretending that you know the outcome of an election before the ballots are counted.
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Albanese alongside Labor’s candidate for Longman in Queensland, Rhiannyn Douglas (right), at a Medicare urgent care clinic in Morayfield this morning”,”caption”:”Anthony Albanese alongside Labor’s candidate for Longman in Queensland, Rhiannyn Douglas (right), at a Medicare urgent care clinic in Morayfield this morning.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
While both parties have been saying voters will be better off under their respective parties, neither will promise people will be better off in three years from now.
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Lane asks whether Albanese will “guarantee” Australians will be better off by 2028. Albanese says:
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As we speak today, Sabra, we have inflation down to 2.4%, we have wages increasing, we have unemployment low, and interest rates have started to fall. Every one of the key economic indicators is improving. Under the former government, we inherited interest rates going up, inflation with the six in front of it, wages going backwards…
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Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with some of the best overnight stories before Krishani Dhanji will take you through the last full day of campaigning.
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It seems like political tensions have boiled over in some areas with New South Wales police launching multiple investigations in the last week into alleged violence, intimidation, harassment and antisocial behaviour related to the election. This has included the smearing of poo across a truck carrying an ad for the Liberal party. More coming up.
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A Liberal-aligned thinktank running last-minute anti-Greens advertisements targeting young voters received more than $600,000 from the coal industry during last year’s Queensland election, disclosures show. At the same time, Labor and the Coalition have been accused of going to the election on a “unity ticket” to protect fossil fuels.
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In what might well be the last poll before the one that really counts, Labor has a two-point lead over the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis. The Fin Review/Freshwater Strategy poll shows that Labor is on 51.5% to the Coalition’s 48.5%. If replicated tomorrow that puts Labor on track for a minority government. More campaign reaction coming up.
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Key events
Krishani Dhanji
And with that, I’ll hand over to the wonderful Natasha May to take you through the rest of the afternoon.
Thank you all for joining me on the blog today, and I’ll be back with you tomorrow evening, to bring you all the vote counting, analysis and general election night excitement! See you there.
Dutton says his team have been working “day and night” and is “incredibly proud” of them.
The opposition leader gets a few questions from reporters on whether he can still win tomorrow, and whether he needs a “miracle” to get there.
We got an amazing economics team, as John Howard did with Peter Costello, we get our country back on track.
What I would say to Australians at this election is that there is a choice and a sliding doors moment. The choice is to continue three bad years and Australians can’t afford that.
Asked if he’ll remain leader if the party isn’t successful tomorrow, Dutton says he’s been
clear” that his objective is to win.
I have no doubt in my mind we can win the election and get our country back on track.
He doesn’t say what happens on Sunday if that doesn’t occur.
Dutton accuses Albanese of being dishonest about a future Indigenous voice to parliament
Since Penny Wong’s appearance on the Betoota Advocate podcast, where she said Australians will reflect on the voice referendum debate in the future as we reflect on marriage equality now, Dutton has claimed it means Labor wants to bring back a voice to parliament.
Photograph: Roni Bintang/Getty Images
To recap, here is what Wong had said on the podcast.
I think we’ll look back on it in 10 years’ time and it’ll be a bit like marriage equality don’t you reckon?… it’ll become something like, people go ‘did we even have an argument about that?’
Dutton said today the government “has this plan [for a voice] which has now been reenforced by Anika Wells which is obvious to all Australians”
You don’t have to look much further than the words of Penny Wong and Anika Wells. They have a plan to introduce by legislation a Voice. Now, Australians voted against that. And you would have thought that the prime minister would have been honest but even on that issue he’s not being honest.
Almost all senior ministers have been asked about whether Labor will bring forward another proposal for a voice to parliament in the last couple of days. All have said no, and Albanese has accused critics of “verballing” Wong.
Yesterday, Wells told ABC TV:
The voice in the form we took to the referendum is gone … we respect the opinions and the votes of people, they made that very clear.
Pauline Hanson muddies the waters on Coalition’s Paris climate agreement stance
Dutton says there has been “no change” to the Coalition’s policy to commit to the Paris climate agreement.
Shadow energy minister Ted O’Brien confirmed his party was committed to the agreement in April, just hours after he’d left the door open to leaving it, during a national press club debate with energy minister Chris Bowen.
Dutton was asked about comments made by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson that the Coalition would have to commit to pulling out of the agreement to get her vote, and whether the Coalition would do that.
He said his position is “clear”.
We have been clear in relation to the policy on the matter.
The reporter asks for clarity, asking again, “you wouldn’t pull out?”
No, we have stated our policy in relation to that matter …
There is no change.
Dutton guarantees he can make life cheaper for families
Holding up the prop in his hand (the newspaper headline of Albanese promising to make life better in 2022), Dutton is asked if he can guarantee life will be “cheaper” under the Coalition.
Dutton says he can.
Life will be cheaper under a Coalition government because we have gotten rid of the worst biggest-spending government in 40 years. And we will manage the economy as John Howard and Peter Costello did.
Dutton then touts his record of having worked with Howard and Costello back in the early 2000s as an assistant treasurer.
Dutton promises to visit WA at least 10 times a year if he becomes PM
If that number seems a bit random to you, it’s because at the last election, Albanese promised to visit the state 10 times a year as PM, and he’s kept that promise, visiting more than 30 times.
Dutton says he has no doubt he can win back seats in the state, and makes a similar pledge.
I’ll be back here more than 10 times a year, I’m certain of that.
Dutton pushed to explain cost of public servants policy
You might remember, that this morning shadow treasurer Angus Taylor told RN Breakfast that under the Coalition’s policy to cut 41,000 public servants, some could be “migrated”:
Natural attrition happens everywhere, but we’ll move people around appropriately to meet the needs of regional areas and frontline services …
We will migrate people around to make sure that we keep our numbers where they are in regional areas.
Asked if the Coalition has modelled the cost of moving public servants around and reminded that when the pesticides regulator was moved to Armidale, workers were given payouts of, on average, $60,000, Dutton says:
Look, we have worked with the [Parliamentary Budget Office] in relation to all those costings and Angus [Taylor] has presented that. What it shows is we’re $40bn less in debt under a Coalition government.
Dutton defends Liberal budget costings
Dutton defends his party’s costings, released yesterday, that show a Coalition government would increase the nation’s deficit in the first two years compared with Labor.
A journalist points out that $8.3bn of the $21bn promised to defence hasn’t been included in the costings, and that the regional Australia future fund is off-budget.
Dutton repeats the line that the costings show the bottom line will be better off after four years by $40bn.
We’ll have $40bn less debt than Labor, that means less pressure on interest rates.
Asked if the costings are missing “quite a lot of money”, Dutton says, “no”.
Dutton: Curtin MP Kate Chaney in ‘lock-step’ with Labor and Greens
On to questions, and Peter Dutton is asked how he defends his party’s preference swap with One Nation – and whether he’s using the minor party to get his Liberal candidate into the teal-held seat of Curtin.
Dutton doesn’t mention One Nation in his answer, but attacks Labor’s decision to preference the Greens.
He also attacks Kate Chaney, who now holds Curtin.
The last thing Australians want is to have a Green-Labor government and, don’t forget that the teal Kate Chaney is working in lock-step with the Labor Party. The Labor party is running soft in Curtin to support somebody they know is a fellow traveller and Kate Chaney would support a Labor-Greens Government and that would be bad for WA.
Dutton reminds voters of Albanese 2022 promise that life would be cheaper under Labor
Peter Dutton is speaking to reporters in the Perth seat of Tangey, which the Liberals lost at the last election.
He has brought along a prop – a print out of a newspaper from 2022 that show that Labor had promised life would be cheaper under its government.
Now, it’s 12 months to the day and you’d remember this headline because this was the prime minister’s main pitch going into the last election. ‘Life will be cheaper under me,’ he said. I haven’t found one Australian who can say they’re paying less for their power.
WikiLeaks founder endorses Anthony Albanese for PM
Julian Assange has endorsed Anthony Albanese, praising the PM’s efforts to release him from jail.
Assange was detained for more than five years in London, charged with espionage and computer hacking, for publishing classified US military documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
In a statement, he said Albanese “has the backbone to stand up for Australians on other tough issues”.
The truth is, in what became an impressive field of advocates, Albo did more to secure my freedom than any other politician or public figure, even more than the late Pope, whose support was both moving and significant.
Against all expectations for an Australian politician, once elected, he kept his word.
Albanese lobbied former US president Joe Biden at several meetings, pushing for Assange’s release.
Assange wrote:
Albo hasn’t just stood up to the US to end the political imprisonment of an Australian – he’s also intervened for other Australians detained in difficult circumstances, including in China. This government has proven itself unusually capable of rescuing Australians caught up in sensitive political situations.
Does this mean Albo will put Australian interests first and skillfully navigate tensions between the US, EU, and China? I can’t say for sure. But I do know this: He can. Albo did right by me … You don’t need to be a bully to have a backbone.
The WikiLeaks founder was released, and returned to Australia after agreeing to a plea deal in June.
Get yourself a democracy sausage and don’t forget to vote – it’s compulsory!
The AEC is reminding everyone (as am I!) that voting is compulsory.
More than 7 million people have already voted, meaning there’s about 11 million of you yet to get to the ballot box.
The AEC says there are more than 7,000 polling places, which you can search for here.
Polling centres will be open from 8am to 6pm tomorrow, and if you’re in the line at 6pm tomorrow you will still be able to cast your vote.
We love democracy!
Albanese and Dutton crisscross the country in last minute election dash
Both leaders have travelled halfway across the country already today. From Brisbane, Anthony Albanese is now in Tasmania, in the seat of Braddon.
Braddon is held by the Liberals on a safe margin, but with incumbent MP Gavin Pearce retiring, senator Anne Urquhart has made the switch to become a lower house candidate to try to win the seat for Labor.
Albanese’s been out patting the dogs too.
Meanwhile, Peter Dutton has travelled all the way to Perth where the Liberals are hoping to gain ground. They lost several heartland seats in the west back in 2022.
