From the Skying Center. This is Paul Murray live, Hollo, my friend. Game on.
Half of the country thinks we are headed in the wrong direction. More than half of the country thinks the Prime Minister is not doing a good job. Those were the conditions in which Peter Dutton started the election battle.
It'll be called tomorrow. We'll talk about it tonight, about the number of seats, the where, the what and the how, But if the five things you need to know about what I thought was a pretty impressive speech from a man who in just a few weeks time may well end up the prime minister of this country, certainly an
alternative to the current who. As I say, the polls say more than half of the country is dissatisfied with the five things you need to know about the speech and about why I think that it starts the election campaign in the best way possible for the opposition. This is a conversation about help that is needed now, not help in a year fifteen months time. As you know, we have remained laser focused and almost obsessed with cost of living because of the effects that it has had
on everyday Australians. I remember the story of a woman who was living in a car in Perth. She had a job, she has kids. They live in the car. The way that they could make sure that they had drinking water at the end of each and every day was to go and go and buy a bag of ice that would then melt throughout the day and that's
what they would drink. There are too many Australians who are suffering and have suffered for a long time, people who are largely forgotten by most of the media, but thankfully not by Peter Dutton in the very way he framed what he plans to do with his Prime ministership. But to get there, he tells the story that we have told nightly and you have lived every day of the past three years.
Your bills tell the true story of Labour's cost of living crisis. And here's the facts of the Albanesi government's economic record. Rents are up by at percent, housing is up by fourteen percent, groceries up by staggering thirty percent, Electricity is up by thirty two percent, and insurance is up for many households and businesses by thirty five percent.
He brought to the National Conversation here's moment to be heard uninterrupted for thirty minutes across the airwaves of Australia, the stories of those that are ohso forgotten by too many.
In Perth, a mum in a grocery store in tears told me how her her husband and children couldn't keep their heads above water with the bills stacking up. In Adelaide, I spoke with a food manufacturer whose electricity prices had gone up by about three hundred percent. In Victoria, I spoke with a supermarketing employee, a woman in her sixties who had a machete held against her throat during a robbery.
In Brisbane, I listened to a young couple in their thirties who have moved back in with their parents because they simply can't buy a home even though both of them are working. Over time, for so many Australians, aspiration has turned to anxiety, optimism to pessimism, a national confidence to national uncertainty. The truth is Australians can't afford three more years of the Albanesi government.
Too much of our politics is about what's in it for me. But as opposed to five dollars in fifteen months time, harving of petrol tax in this country again something we've spoken about for such a long time, something that the Prime Minister has ignored at the height of.
The difficulties of the past three years.
Well, Peter Dunton now has turned every single petrol station and its price board into a billboard for his case for change, because upon his election the fuel tax will be halved.
A coalition government will have the fuel excise for twelve months and then we'll review it and we'll make sure that that comes in on the first day that our Parliament sits. For a household with one car filling up once a week, that's a savings of about fourteen dollars a week, or around seven hundred dollars over the year. For a household with two cars filling up once a week, that is a savings of twenty eight dollars a week or around fifteen hundred dollars over twelve months.
And this will not make the front pages. It will be barely mentioned anywhere but here. But as you know, part of the litany of failures of this government, the promise to make things better is the three point seven million Australian households. There's multiple people in those households, so it's more than that number don't know where their food's going to come from. Each and every week, they run
out of food by a Thursday night. They're worried about what they're going to give their kids for lunch, if anything, tomorrow. The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars at a time when charities are serving people around the block when it comes to food. Finally, a leader who recognizes that the help that is needed now is to give extra money to the charities who are doing that help now, to.
Scale up assistance and provide immediate relief. We will commit fifty million dollars for food charities like food banks, second by Ite and oz Harvest to expand their services and to include school breakfast programs.
The five things you need to know about the Dutton speech delivered with passion and force tonight. A man who wants to take the country back in the right direction. Immediate help upon his election. The second a real plan for the future, not just bribes to get through an election.
One of the key things that was announced today and will be repeated all the way through the election is it's one thing to make a vague promise, It's another thing to hold up a piece of paper that you will pass through the Parliament and make the law of the land.
Tonight, I commit a coalition government to the following. We will introduce four critical pieces of legislation on the first sitting day in the next Parliament. One the Energy Price Reduction Bill, to the Lower Immigration and More Homes for Australian's Bill, the Keep Australian Safe Bill, and the Guaranteed
Funding for Health, Education and Essential Services Bill. Part of all of these plans is to make sure that more gas is going to be put into the system, and the gas that is produced by the system currently will now start to be put aside a national reservation of gas, meaning that we will not be affected by what happens around the world. We will be able to set our own price on the technology that will get us through the next decades. This plan will prioritize domestic gas supply,
address shortfalls and reduce energy for Australians. This is all about ensuring Australian gas is for Australians. We will immediately introduce an East Coast gas reservation. This will secure an additional ten to twenty percent of these coast demand gas which would otherwise be exported for use in other markets by consumers in those countries.
And despite what it will be said, Australians are very accepting and we don't care from where you come as long as you recognize the laws of this land as
opposed to the grievances of previous lands. But the reality is that with more than a million people that have come in under this government, that's an extra million people who have caused further delays in you being able to find our rental property, more people competing when it comes to an auction, more difficulties when it comes to ambulance ramping or immigration will be cut by twenty five percent.
We will cut the permanent migration by twenty five percent. We will ban foreign investors in temporary residents from purchasing existing Australian homes.
For a period of two years.
We will set stricter caps on foreign students to relieve stress on rental markets. And we will invest five billion dollars in essential infrastructure to get stalled housing projects up and going, and it's going to create five hundred thousand new homes. Will allow for first home buyers to access up to fifty thousand dollars of their super for home deposit because it's better to get into home sooner.
Number three in the five things that you need to know about the speech, and I employ you to go and watch it all in full at skynews dot com dot au. He has raised the stakes of the election. Remember, more than half of the country says we're headed in the wrong direction. More than half of the country is dissatisfied with the Prime minister's leadership.
Here he was putting.
It on the table about how important your vote is in just a few weeks time. Now, every election is important, but this election does matter more than others in recent history. It is a sliding doors moment for our nation. A return to Albaneza government in any form won't just be another three bleak years. More economic mistakes will take a lot longer to recover from. Setbacks will be set in stone, and our prosperity will be damaged.
For decades to come. But you have the power to change the path our country is on. You have the ability to reverse decline, and you have the opportunity to get our country back on track.
As part of that, he also Front and Senate. Now, remember this election in terms of the six PM News is decided by the people who cover it. We have shown you how they will spin the ball and give the benefit of the doubt to the existing government for a whole collection of reasons, but most notably because they
like that side being in power. It's time in a speech like this, with hundreds of thousands of people watching live and many more than will watch it online in the coming days, to batter away the BS to take on what will inevitably be Labour's campaign of lies.
For three years, Labor pedaled the lie that they inherited a trillion dollars of debt. Yet in the budget papers that we saw on Tuesday night they confirm that the Labor Party will burden Australia with the trillion dollars of debt as of next year. Tuesday's budget was one for the next five weeks, not one for the next five years.
And if anyone between now an election day wants to tell you that the alternative Prime Minister his alternative team will do anything but help healthcare in this country, show them this.
When a government doesn't have any achievements to speak about, which is the reality for this government, it resorts to smears and scare campaigns there's no greater sign of the Albernezy Gubert's desperation that it's Many Scare campaign, Labour's third attempt in less than a decade where there's the biggest
strain on services. We will guarantee cheaper medicines and lower the pharmaceutical benefit scheme co payment to twenty five dollars, and will invest five hundred million dollars into women's health. And we'll double the subsidized middle health sessions from ten to twenty and make this arrangement and make this arrangement permanent.
That's really important because we know the kids aren't all right. We know that there are plenty of people struggling no matter where you live, from the biggest of cities to the most remote parts of this beautiful country. That is a really big announcement. Nine and a half billion dollars when it comes to dealing with health, particular focuses on mental health, particular focus in that on youth mental health. The fourth he's backing in small business. Now, small business
employs so many people. All business is a way that people are able to fend for themselves. Much of the project of the modern labor left, which is now the modern labor party is to create a triangle of dependence. The triangle of dependence where you're reliant on the state for the handout, your reliant on the state because you work for it, or if you're in business, the biggest client is the state.
Therefore you never rock the boat.
This is how labor has stayed in power, and Victoria for the best part of thirty years has had a similar hold until recently in places like Queensland. But if you decide to start your own business, no matter what happens to be, you know the only way to get a pay rise is to get up earlier and go to bed later. And your taxation is something that should
be as minimized as possible. So the incident asset right off that this government has completely removed will be back in a big way, meaning that if you are running anything from a hairdressers to a local lawn care business, you'll be able to buy things for your business and write it off against tax. Reviving growth, mister Speaker also means having the back of small business, including tax relief.
We've got tax relief coming for small business. We will increase the instant asset right off from one thousand dollars under this government to thirty thousand dollars, and we're going to make that arrangement ongoing. We will provide a deduction of up to twenty thousand dollars per year for small businesses for business related meal expenses, which is also a much needed shot in the arm for struggling cafes, restaurants
and pubs. It will allow a local real estate agency or a builder to take staff to a local cafe to celebrate a big sales event or simply to say thank you to their hardworking employees. It creates jobs and it supports the struggling hospitality sector. I want small businesses to be taking risks, calculated risks, not shutting up shop. And for so many Australians, it's not about how much money. It's not about what's in it. For me, it's not
about the bribes, the giveaways or the distractions. Which brings me to the fifth thing to know about Peter Dutton's speech, and that is that he defended values and he has set a.
Path to pride for our future generations.
We will nurture pride and unity in our country. We will provide support to the Australian Defense Force to keep us safe today and into generations ahead, at a time when.
We most need it.
That starts, of course, by making sure that we don't fail young Australians, and I think this is an incredibly important point. A coalition government will restore a curriculum that teaches the core fundamentals in our classrooms, a curriculum that cultivates critical thinking, responsible citizenship and common sense.
These are the focuses of a Dutton government. That education matters, That pride in your nation matters. That making sure that a country that is focused on its future matters, and that comes from the top. This Prime Minister has a disapproval rating above fifty percent. More people are unimpressed with his leadership than impressed with his leadership. Something Peter Dutton promises to change.
I will be a strong leader with a steady hand. I will make the tough decisions, not shirk them. I will put the national interest first. I will lead with conviction, not walk both sides of the street.
And his closing pitch, which will be heard in many ways over many days between now and when you get the chance to vote for or against the current government. This is the closing argument of a man who is ready to lead.
Australians are worse off under the Albansia government and Australians cannot afford three more years of this bad labor government. I say to Australians tonight, at this election, you can make the right choice, a better choice for you, a better choice for your family, and a better choice for your country. Together, let's build a stronger, safer and better Australia and let's together get our country back on track.
So game on the best place to be here each and every night and all day with us at Sky News.
You know that elections bring out the best in.
Us and we will have every moment of it covered, from the campaign buses, to the promises, to the media tricks, to the lies, and to the entire opportunity to put the country in the right direction. We'll be into all of that tomorrow. The Governor General will be called upon by the Prime Minister. Expectation is that happens during all of the breakfast TV shows, so as many eyes are on it as possible to try to change the subject from the speech that's just happened tonight, but also to
end our long national nightmare. For goodness sake, when it is this to start. The most likely election date is going to be May the third, and again that will be announced by the Prime Minister in the next little
wild that will be thirty seven days from now. Thirty seven days of this prime minister, will he make history as the first prime minister to be re elected since two thousand and four, or will be the first prime minister to get the boot in a first term by the Australian people not his party room, in over one hundred years. You need seventy six seats to form a majority in the Parliament, and the current numbers are the Labor Party has seventy seven seats, the Liberal National Party
fifty three, Greens four and Independence fifteen. There's eighteen seats that need to change hands for a change of majority rule. But most expectations here.
Are that the.
Belief here, I should say, is that we're headed towards a minority government, and whether that is going to be minority Liberal or Labor government, of course, we will all find out together. So here's the two things that you need to know about the next little while, which is that Labor is it going to be able to lose
two and still have a majority. This is different than previous elections because first term governments in recent years, like the Liberal government in twenty sixteen, they had a massive backbench. The Labor government in twenty ten had a massive backbench. He has just two the Libs, I said, sorry, eighteen before, it's twenty one seats to win a majority. The current projections are neither are going to get there and it's going to be a minority government. So let's run around
the poles. Let's run around the bookies. Let's set the market and then have a chat with a dear friend about where we go from here. All right, the bookies,
well they are leaning Labour's way right now. This has only changed in the past week or so, but all of them are suggesting a relatively tight race, but one currently they say Labor is going to win in terms of the polls, or they move from the Liberal Party at fifty one forty nine in news poll and the fresh Water Pole to fifty to fifty in the Yugov Pole to Labour being fifty in the red Bridge Pole and Morgan way out in front in terms of where
they think the Labour Party is going to be. If that's the case, they will increase the number of seats they have in the Parliament. Now, Labour's primary vote is down according to all of the polls based off the previous election, and remember that was one of the worst performances Labour had had in one hundred years. Red Bridge says that their vote is down by one point News poll, by two points, three points for Ugov Essential, and many more.
In the Resolve poll.
Although that pole is more than a month old and the expectation is like all the others, that gets a little tighter in the next of a while. For Peter Dutton and the Opposition. Thirty six percent was what the coalition got when it was removed from office three years ago. Their vote is up by at least three points in the News pole, the Freshwater Pole and the Resolve Pole. It's up by just a point in the red Bridge
and Ugov pole. And because Essential includes people who don't know or undecided, they have got their vote at one point less the Greens, what do they mean? Of course, you add a Green vot to the Labor vote, so you get more garbage like that. The Green's got twelve percent of the last election. According to the Freshwater Pole they are going to increase their vote, Ugov says the
same news poll. Resolve, Redbridge and Essential say they have exactly the same performance that they did four years ago, which produced four members in the Lower House. I think the wildcard of the election is One Nation, because they got five percent of the last federal election. According to
the Resolve poll. However, they're up four points now. You won't see this in other places because they don't like to interview people from one Nation, but One Nation is up by four points, by three points, and by two points. Depending on the polls that you have a look at, you'll hear a lot about the other vote or the independent vote. Now it's hard to pull these apart from what is the independent vote, what is the minor party vote?
What is the lamby vote? But the reality here is that that vote was fourteen percent at the last election. It is down in all of the polls that are currently being put together. Another thing to remember going into any federal election, Australia is a very big and very different country. The politics of the South of Tasmania is different than regional Queensland. What people care about in suburban Perth may be different than what happens in Western Sydney.
The people of the Northern Territory South Australia may have a different view than Victoria or New South Wales, but I think we can all agree with the Act.
We'll end up voting Labor or Green. As for two party preferred.
There has been some switches and the biggest switch is going to be in Victoria. The Liberal Party's vote is up. In New South Wales, the Labor Parti's vote is down five points. That's a whole bunch of seats. The majority of seats, if they are to change, would come out of Victoria. Watch this space about whether Jacinta Allen makes it through the campaign as the Victorian premier. In Queensland, the Liberal Party advantage has been sliced by one point
but still remains fifty three to forty seven. Western Australia very strong for Labour. The Leaps thought they could win four seats, they'll probably get one. In South Australia, the Labor Party is down one point but still remains in front at fifty three forty seven. So finally, one thing that many people don't talk about when it comes to elections is we talk about the number of seats that
an opposition needs an opposition needs. Instead, I want to talk about not just what an opposition needs, but also what the opposition is defending, because in some ways they have to outrun a teal while trying to catch the Labor Party. Now a lot of numbers, but still think about what I just showed you their state by state, and it tells you the story. They are attacking in twenty five seats, this being the Liberal National Party they
are defending in fifteen. The ones they are attacking in New South Wales is eight, seven in Victoria, three in Queensland, three in Western Australia, two in the Northern Territory more likely one South Australia one and Tasmania one. They are defending either against the Labor Party or more likely independent in some of these seats, four in New South Wales, three in Victoria, four in Queensland, two in Western Australia,
and one each in South Australia and Tasmania. Game on, Baby, Game on, my dear friend, my colleague, And thankfully she stayed up late enough for us. And it was an exciting day in Laura Jay's household, because a beautiful daughter Sophie got to meet Jua Liper at.
A cafe today.
Laura Jays love you to see a rock star. So let's go through this in chapter and verse. Thank you for being patient, but let's deal with the speech. What did you think of what Peter Dutton said and my interpretation that he was matching the right track wrong track conversation?
What did you think?
Yeah, I think the tone of Peter Dutton is something that shouldn't be overlooked. His authenticity and really he's willing this to run a presidential campaign. Here he sees and I think he's right at the best chance of winning this election, winning the seats he needs to to get into power pitting himself. I mean, we've seen a lot of Jim Chalmers over the last week as well because
of the budget being handed down. I think Jim is a much better media performer than Anthony Albenzi, but we've kind of not seen a lot of Anthony Aberesi this week. But once you get into an election campaign tomorrow, it is head to head. We know we have a parliamentary system, but that presidential style I think really will benefit Peter Dutton. He's called himself a conviction politician. I think that's absolutely right against what alber Eazi has been perceived as from
labor voters that he's weak. What is the point of him? Does he look hungry enough to win this next election? So look Peter utt describing as a sliding doors moment. You know, are you better off than you were three years ago? The answer is no to that. So painting this is a hugely consequential election, I think cleverly without really targeting the teals either. This really wedges the tials for many reasons. But we can get into that.
Yeah, so let's get to you know what inevitably is going to be the comparison, which is five dollars and fifteen months or harving of petrol tax from day one?
Which one do you think?
Lands I think it's crazy brave to oppose that tax cut, to be honest, because once you start explaining and getting into detail, you start losing the argument. That's just how
politics works. It's not fair. But when you get into a campaign and people are running busy lives and they only hear snapshots here, and they're not like us who are consuming the news every day, Paul, I think it's really hard when you start equivocating and explaining, and that headline of you know, I think it's really clever this week what the government did, wedging the coalition passing this, daring them to repeal it. I mean, for a start,
look at the Senate. I mean, he's going to inherit the Senate even if he does win, how is he going to repeal it in the first place? So he inherits it, but he doesn't get any of the credit. Labor goes into this campaign saying where are the Party of Lower Income Taxes? So I spoke to Angus Taylor about this state. It's really hard to get your head around that. Yes, what is potent is that doesn't start for fifteen months and it's a couple of coffee a week.
It's nothing. It's pitdling. But again when you get into the detail, you start losing the argument. Dyley was really interesting today as well. She's been calling for a fuel tax excise cut for quite some time and this brings in pensioners. So the positives of the fuel tax excise cut is it those out sub suburban seats, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane, in every state, to be honest, and that's where it's going to hit. And that's where this election is won and lost. As you know.
Now again I talk about this the attacking and defending situation because again, you know, your best case scenario is you get as close to government or you win government. Worst case scenario is that you start to go backwards. Now again, I'm not going to sit here and go each and every seat, but again, attacking in twenty five, defending in fifteen. Victoria a place that looks like it's going to be I mean again, I'm not sure the
polls are hundred percent when it comes to Victoria. However, I know how pissed off people are about the Labor brand in Victoria, not pretending in any way, shape or form whether they're going to leap into the arms of inevitably Peter Dutton with all the scare campaigns, the Yuga booger that they're going to run in the next little while. This idea about how you have to attack and defend. Now, obviously when it comes to the Labor Party, they've had
to do this on some level. When it comes to the Greens, but obviously, as we've seen with those existing teals, there's going to be a couple that are going to come back. But then there's new fronts like places like Bradfield on the far north shore of Sydney.
Yeah, there are, but this is a really different campaign and I think the Teals are all at sea at the moment. I mean, last campaign, Paul, they're campaigning on integrity and climate change. I mean it was pretty telling that Jim Chalmers did not mention climate change, emissions, renewable
energy once in his budget speech this week. The Teals, I think I was trying to find where they're they can get their hooks in at this election, because there's not going to be in climate change, he says firmly. Cost of living. I mean, Allegra Spender is the only one that talks about tax reform. But if you're the only one doing it and you're speaking from the sidelines, I don't know how effective that is. When it comes to the gas reservation policy and you talk about Victoria,
all the poles are so bad. And what it's been put to me is finally Victorians are catching up. They are traumatized by Daniel Andrews and now finally after two years, they've realized they're out of that Stockholm syndrome and they cannot stand him. He's no longer in power anymore. But that does have a flow through effect, particularly when it
comes to all these metrics and cost of living. House prices are down, their electricity bills are through the roof, and you know they've got a moratorium on any gas coming out of coming out of the ground in Victoria. I mean it is for saying people to think that we have to ship around gas from wa new terminal
ports in Victoria is just crazy. So on this gas reservation policy, the details, look, it is so complex, the system is such a mess, but all the experts agree if you're going to keep prices with a little bit of a lid on it, you have to do something big on gas. I am surprised the government has just left that feel wide open for Peter Dutton. And this is going to be something that runs again. When you get to the detail, you start losing the argument. But
it doesn't matter because what's Labour going to say. They'n I've going to criticize Peter Dutton for trying to get more gas in the system because they know that is the only solution.
Yeah.
Well, as desperate as some of the lefties in the press gallery word today to try to sort of find this to be the issue. I think you are you are right about where this goes in the next little while. All right, let's talk about the political nerd in you, who's done plenty of elections. What's the little details? Where do your spidy senses go to try to work out what's going on?
Well, look, I've been tracking the focus groups with a Redbridge group for quite some time. As you know Simon Wells. She's a former or is a psychologist, so the way he conducts these groups is really interesting. And Anthony Alberizi and his personal brand is just not there. There is a factor for Peter Dutton where you know, people don't really know who he is, and he's got some of that, you know, there's negative aspects from when he was the headkicker in the Liberal Party. So look, I think that
is that is a problem. But you've got to look to seats like in out suburban and I think we've got to watch Victoria really closely. Everyone you speak to in Victoria says that labor it is just an absolute basket case for labor. But it's how those votes then shift to the coalition there. I think there should there could be a few surprises in this election, maybe on one seat at least in Adelaide Tasmania. I mean that the vote pool is so small that a small shift
can have a big difference there. And then you've got w A just had a state election. There has been a shift away from Labor. But also that shift didn't go all the Liberals way, so I think that's a little bit of concern there Again, the Teals, Paulie, I think they probably all hold. Maybe not Kate Cheney, maybe not Sophie Scomp's. I mean, Nick Ryan in the last couple of days has had a lot of bad press.
Imagine the colder in that house. You're sleeping in the other room. He's in the doghouse at the farm.
Imagine that's how far.
He is off. Oh, Laura, thank you, my friend.
Now, because one more thing, I just think, I just think the best thing Peter Dutton's got going for him, sorry, is that labor under to make him. They always have. And one thing he's got going fro him He's got many things, by the way, is authenticity, and he's got a great family behind him. He gets it. He lives in the community, breathed the community. He was a copper for some time, and he does have his finger on the pulse. You know, didn't grow up in a political
family and become a staffer and do all that. And just a check for you, Paul, because I knew you'd be interested. Curly wasn't watching Maths tonight. She told me that it's not on on a Thursday night, which I didn't know, so I just had to check for you. He wasn't watching Maths. Risk is okay?
Good.
I appreciate it.
I'm sure she liked the shout out to from her husband or at a big time ahead for her as well. Thank you, Laura. I'll see you in the morning. I'll be part of everything as it all rolls apart and will be with you from mind tomorrow morning. Thank you mate.
Thanks for having us over to your joint tonight. All right, quick break back with more lots more to talk about about the election, about the speech, and then we'll get into some other things, including a great example of journalists who never gave up and guess what it was true.
What they knew all along more in a second.
Thanks very much. What a big weekend we've got coming up. I can't wait to be in Toowoomba tomorrow and then we're going to go off the to Wombe show. We're going to go to the King of the Mountain which is the Races. We're going to have some dinner with some good friends there and we have a show Ouurtown on Sunday night, and then on Monday the pub test. Peter Duddon in his electorate election will have been called
by then. He'll have done had a big weekend, but he's got a big message to sell and he's going to be asked whatever the audience wants. I haven't even seen the questions. That's the way it works is the first people to apply, viewers of this program, ask the alternative Prime Minister whatever they want. We've got a big full house that's Monday night, so I must see stuff.
Speaking of You've got to keep with us now, because none of them than James Ashby from One Nation joins us and Linda Scott will still have the parish of the Labor Party, but she's to say whatever she wants right as a person of no fixed political address in terms of an office. So James, what did you think of the speech I saw pulling on before saying yep, thanks for backing in what I've said for a long time, which is cut petrol tax.
Yeah, well you can tell the experience from a bloke who's held many different portfolios in previous governments and now as the leader of the opposition, I think it doesn't spoke very well tonight. I must say that if one nation is in a balance of power scenario in the next parliament, whether that be in a Senate or a combined of lower House seats as well, there are a number of policies there that the Liberals have adopted of
one nations, as you're well aware, over time. We've been talking about that domestic gas reservation policy for nine years now.
The apprenticeship schemes where we really want.
To bolster the apprentices of the future, we've already delivered on those in the past. A fewel exercise tax we announced in February, immigration cuts and of course access to superannuation, not just for first time by as I might just say, Paul, there's a lot of families that split up and often the blokes are left homeless. They've got access to well, they've got super, but they don't have access to it, and I think.
That there's merit to expand that.
So they're things that we can certainly work with the coalition on, particularly if we do have that balance of power in the Senate.
Linda, no doubt you were thrilled.
You were leaning forward, you were writing down notes, you were thinking, geez, I've joined the wrong party. Why was this the worst speech you've ever seen in your life? That scared you within an inch of your life. That means all of us should hide our children.
Look, I think the honest truth about this speech was that Peter Dutton's pretty trapped in He doesn't have too many new ideas for the future. And the difficult thing is in the speech, in as James rightly says, adopting a whole lot of one nation policies, he's essentially admitted that he can't win any Teal seats. He didn't mention net zero, he didn't mention climate change. Now, whatever you think about those issues, he's not trying to pitch to the middle ground of Australia.
I think this is a larger mission.
Brilliant dollar that he can't win in his own right. He's not now aiming to win government. He's aiming maybe to win a minority or you know, align himself with James and Pauline Hanson and one nation. I think that's that's pretty extraordinary actually as an admission from an opposition leader tonight. He didn't barely mention anything about nuclear He's not explaining where the six hundred million dollars is going
to come from in cuts. He's not explaining, like Jackie Lamby, how he's going to explain the public service cuts?
Are they from veterans affairs?
You know, these are really important questions that he needs to answer. As you say, Paul as the alternative leader of this nation.
Can I just say about the teals? Right?
My feeling here is that I think that you know, Goldstein most likely gone, I reckon coot Young after the behavior of mister Ryan, the first Gentleman, of course, because she could be Prime Minister according to her own ego, and I reckon Curtain. I reckon those three gone. Interesting what's going to happen in and around Brisbane?
Right?
Because there are seats, the three seats that came to the Greens. Now you've sort of got Labor and the Liberal Party both believing that a Greens down means they're going to step in. Interesting to note again about the politics of Brisbane is that at a local government level, the LNP has been able to hold onto that council for a long time, so that is a bit of an insight.
An insight Labor of course.
Say well, you know we're able to take a couple of Green seats off at the state election. But be fascinating around that and obviously we'll all dig in as time goes. Let's get into that election preview chat and James, I want to just just get straight to it.
Do you believe the polling that.
One nation's vote is up and maybe up by as high as four five points since the last election. Because if that's the case, very good for Malcolm Roberts going for re election in Queensland. But it also activates the preference question that worked for the Libs in twenty nineteen.
And I sense it'll work for them again at this election too, Paul, because I'll make it very clear to every viewer out there, Labor and the Greens are going to last on one nation.
How to vote cards. It's up to you how your number your boxes.
But our recommendation to you as voters will be to put Labor in the Greens last, and where there is a Teal in the mix, they will go down just between Labor and the Greens.
So we're making a very clear stand there.
Look, we've always said that this Labor government has been toxic.
We have seen just in the Look I've just spent this.
Week down in Canberra. I only got back today. Everyone's glum. It doesn't matter which side you're talking to, Labor or the Coalition. So from an observation point of view, I don't think either side feel confident they're going to be able to govern in their own right in the next parliament. And then even if they do win the lower House, you've got this bench of misfits in the Senate. Jackie Lamby's,
the Tammy Tyrrells, the David Pocox. We've got to change the dynamics in the Senate because otherwise if Peter Dutton wins the lower House, you've got big problems because you'll never get anything through. Currently, the Greens and Labor, with a couple of those half weeks from the cross bench, dictate what legislation gets through. So unless one nation get votes and senators in every state. We're going to have a real problem with a coalition Conservative government even if
they do win. So that is imperative for every voter out there. Make sure that we get a preference vote in that top six in the Senate.
It's critical and we will hold whichever Labor or Liberal form.
Government, will hold them accountable if we've got that balance of power.
But look, Paul, it's going to be very interesting.
I don't think many Australians are overly thrilled with what's been delivered in the budget.
They're not engaged.
No one sees anything in it, all them and so it's going to be tough to call. And the book is look at them. They keep swinging. One week they're saying Labor is going to win. Next week they'll say the coalition. But I am starting to see green shoots after Peter Dutton's speech tonight.
Yeah, I agree, Linda, as a person who has daor Knock been elected, been part of the machine and been outside of it as well.
When you are trying to represent the Labor Party and there's the Greens or an independent that's.
There and somebody says one politics is broken, I just really want someone who's going to be able to act on our you know, the sort of empty calorie stuff.
How do you pull them back your way?
Look, I think people acknowledge that labor's had a difficult time with a global inflationary environment and that's really hard. They're also in a very volatile time with the new Trump administration managing.
That I've got to run against him, got to get a Trump mentioned off.
Peter Dutton, he's aligning himself with a number of Trump policies. I think that does frighten Australians.
Trump the first person who ever thought it was that the government was too big. He's the first person in the history of global politics whoever thought this to be published.
You know, Peter Dutton again is adopting a lot of those Trumpian policies and I think Australians are pretty frightened of that. And when you dawknock people, when you have that conversation with them, they are frightened of having that
kind of American conservatism imported over here. They understand that if we have that kind of policy, it will destroy Medicare, It will allow American pharmaceuticals to come in, come in and take over the price of our medication which is so protected by the PBS, now down to twenty five dollars under a labor government like these are the kinds of things that actually really matter to Australians and it's
you know, it's really important that we Dawn. We don't take anything for granted, we ask for people's votes, but they want to see a detailed vision and I think Peter Dutton has not outlined an alternative vision for the country of this nation tonight.
Policies from the you've got it yeahs Labour's run in the country as we have done extremely well for three years, and that is absolutely not true.
They've announced billions.
Of dollars the medications in the PBA, billions of dollars for hell, no.
Policies up GP that have not been matched by the coalition.
All right, plenty more.
Let's get away from this type of politics and get to another type of politics and we will crown a winner and loser of the week and a wonderful example of journalists who didn't take no for answer because they knew what they were talking about was true or in a secure on poor Murray life.
Thanks for watching.
I want to say well done to Jimmy Jones and the team in the Adelaide Advertiser. It's an excellent newspaper. She is an excellent journalist and spectacular editor. The former leader of the Liberals in South Australia is a guy called David Spears, and when videos came out of him snorting a white substance, they were apparently, according to the now former MP, a deep fake. He'd never ever been
involved than anything to do with things like that. Well, the front page of the Adelaide Advertiser confirms that exactly what they said was true is true. He has pled guilty to multiple drugs charges in a South Australian court today. He was asked by the judge about whether he had supplied a controlled drug substance to two separate people in August.
He said guilty.
He is now looking down the barrel of tens of thousands of dollars of fine, are up to a ten year jail term. Well done, Gemma World done, TiSER, well done, and there was a lot coming back at them. I'm telling you the blowback on this was huge, but they held their ground and they were right well done. Let's continue our conversation with James Ashby and with Linda Scott, let's do a speed round now, James, Nature Positive back on the table now. The Prime Minister pulled they said
it was dead. Well now it's back and this is going to be big trouble at the election again in places like Western Australia it is a massive issue.
Well, they've had to go through it, particularly with Cultural Heritage Act which comes into play with this Nature Positive plan as well. I note though, Paul, if you have a look at a press release at Tenure Pleavu.
Sect put out last week, they committed five.
Hundred million dollars more money to locking up. They've guaranteed now thirty percent of the land and ocean.
They've just done it in.
A little different department, different pot of cash, and so they have achieved that and that's what they set out to do in the Nature Positive Plan. So they are slightly but surely implementing this whether we like it or not. But to set back on the agenda after only a couple of months ago the Prime Minister said it was dead,
nothing to worry about. Now we do have to worry about this because this has clearly been put back on to win the love of the left faction within Labor, but also too to show environmental credentials to both the Teals and the Greens ahead of this election. So it is doomsday if Labour get back in, particularly if that
nature positive plan gets up. So I just caution everybody so much we don't know that wasn't announced in Jim Chalmer's budget this week, that will pop up, that will happen, that will have enormous impacts on industries and businesses that we all rely on in this country.
Well, and remember before the last election, literally a day before the last election, as a way to try to save Terry Butler from losing to the Greens in Griffith, that's when they announced there the federal EPA. Of course this was basically on the table, no chance for it to be debated. Nature Positive should be debated all election long. Again, speed round means not debate on everything. But let's get
to some other things. Queensland have released their plan about what they're going to do with the twenty thirty two games, and whoever was in charge of the packaging compliments to the chef because they've been able to basically say that every light bulb they're changing at a local footy oval all the way through to a new stadium at Victoria Park. It's all about the Brisbane twenty three thirty two games. I even loved it. In the launch video there was
Steve Irwin and there was Queensland. I loved it was great, as you know, as a person who'd love to be one one day.
It was a lovely little bit of packaging for Queensland.
Really good about this is things like equestrians going to be based in and around to Woomba, where we're going to be this weekend. These are opportunities, aren't they for government and local government to really big up things for a long period of time down the road. Yeah.
Look, I think it's lovely.
My lovely friend, the Deputy mayor up into Woomba, Rebecca von Hoff, was so thrilled this week when the equestrian events were announced for to Womba. This is a big deal for regional Australia, right. You get to see infrastructure built during time of Olympics that you wouldn't otherwise get to see, and then communities get to use them for
a lifetime. In Sydney we absolutely have the privilege of using a lot of the pools and the stadiums and the infrastructure that came out of the Sydney two thousand Olympics and there is a lasting legacy there and if you spread it out a little bit and do it across those regional areas. So congratulations that I want to say, this idea to get these games, do you it to originate from Queensland?
Mays that is true.
I'm going to go Pale Council came from the mayors Rebecca and the to Woomba Council have been advocating hard to get facilities into Woomba. So I'm celebrating right there with you all of to Woomba to see that equestrian facility that's going to be supported through this Olympic campaign. Can't wait to see the event, James.
What does your poon get?
Is your pon getting something or is it a place where people who don't want to be near the games get to go and get in the Airbnbs around you?
We get stuff all mate, And I've got to be honest, I don't want it either. Look I've been one of those people that haven't been fond on the expense package that's going to be put towards this Olympics, especially when we've got a trillion dollars worth of debt. Let's not forget that. And here we are. Look, these things always blow out the Olympics, so I've not been a big
fan of it. Look from a legacy point of view, I know there'll be a lot of people in ten twenty years time to go wow, I wasn't that great. We ended up at the stadium at the end of it. But again it's all down in the southeast corner. The large amount of the money has been spent down there. We get a few light bulbs, as they said, for sports rivals, big bloody deal. Sorry, in regional parts it's we won't get we won't get the benefitball, all.
Right, Winners and losers of the week, Linda, who stands out for you?
Mate? Albow Jim Charmas, what a budget?
Magnificent tax cuts that paid it out in the post.
So the loser of the week is pet out.
How would you oppose legislated tax cuts less than one hundred days out from the election?
Beyond me anyway?
All right, Well, we look forward to your position and the party. So when it comes to fuel excise in the next little while. All right, Remember they put it up to fifty cents a leader, it'll be twenty five cents a leader should there be a change of government. James, we're or a loser of the week.
Who stands out for you?
Mate?
The biggest winners this week of the five thousand workers in the salmon industry down there in Tasmania. It's some common sense prevailed from the government and the opposition and they've secured the industry for the meantime. But who knows what will happen after the election if the Greens end up in a coalition arrangement with labor. But they're the biggest winners salmon farm industry and Tazzy, well done to them.
They put on a hard fight to be able to save it.
All right, Well, good luck to all of you.
Start as gun tomorrow morning, full coverage here on Sky News. You'll be doing your bit for your teams and there's plenty of debate between now and then huge weekend. As I said tomorrow, I'll be there with Laura in the morning as everything unfurls. We'll go through more data and more details. But as always, the promise from this show is well just to show you the data, show you the facts, be realistic about things.
I know.
I've copt plenty of blowback from saying, look, while I'm on the Trump train, got the red hat, listen to the war room. He ain't as popular with the majority of Australians and that's why Albo's going to desperately hope that he's going to be running against him, not just Peter Dutton, but there's plenty of talk between now and then to one but Sunday night for our town, we'll also do a mini version of State of the Race, and of course Peter Dutton on Monday taking questions from you.
Have a great weekend, Go Yankees.
Yeah,