For many Australians, the Easter long weekend offered a brief escape from the taglines of the major parties and the barrage of campaign ads from independents, the Greens, and Trumpet of Patriots. However, all good things must come to an end.
If you, like many others, have looked at the news for the first time since the break, you may be wondering what on earth has happened since you last checked. Don’t fret, join us at Nexus APAC as we summarise the week lost in easter eggs and roast lamb.
Labor
Heading into the second-to-last week of the campaign, the ALP, headed by Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, has maintained its strategy of targeting and defending marginal ALP seats while visiting a few non-ALP marginals in an effort to retain majority Government. Below are the seats visited by Mr Albanese between 17-24 April:
Melbourne VIC (GRN, 6.5%), Menzies VIC (ALP, 0.4%), Grayndler NSW (ALP, 17.3%), Sydney NSW (ALP, 16.5%), Warringah NSW (IND, 9.4%), Reid NSW (ALP, 5.2%), Gilmore NSW (ALP, 0.2%), Bennelong NSW (ALP, -0.04%), Bonner QLD (LNP, 3.4%), Brisbane QLD (GRN, 3.7%), Fremantle WA (ALP, 16.9%), Swan WA (ALP, 9.4%), O’Connor WA (LIB, 6.7%), and Canning WA (LIB, 1.2%).
While much of Australia paused over Easter, with many Australians eager to disconnect, the ALP pressed on, unleashing a steady stream of announcements.
- $1.2 billion investment in a critical minerals reserve which would be operational in the second half of next year.
- $78 million over four years to fast-track qualifications for 6,000 tradies to support housing and construction.
- $32 million investment in men’s health and breaking the stigma around seeking support.
- $10 million investment to improve the LGBTIQA+ community’s access to inclusive, culturally safe primary care.
- $2.6 million over four years for Street Side Medics, a free mobile GP service for people experiencing homelessness.
- $2.43 million for St Vincent de Paul to offer more crisis support and accommodation.
- $2.07 million to upgrade the Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre and provide more counselling rooms.
As early voting opened this week, the ALP has continued to fight the election on a health and housing front, hoping Mr Albanese holding a green Medicare card will be the last image on swing voters’ minds when casting their ballots.
Coalition
With the campaign nearing its peak, Opposition Leader the Hon Peter Dutton MP has continued the trend of targeting and attacking ALP seats deemed necessary for the Coalition to win on 3 May. The polls indicate that this may not help the Coalition on election day. Below are the seats visited by Mr Dutton between 17-24 April:
Gorton VIC (ALP, 10%), Dunkley VIC (ALP, 6.8%), Watson NSW (ALP, 15.2%), Calare NSW (NAT, 9.7%), Warringah NSW (IND, 9.4%), Dobell NSW (ALP, 6.6%), Reid NSW (ALP, 5.2%), Paterson NSW (ALP, 2.6%), Blaire QLD (ALP, 5.2%), Swan WA (ALP, 9.4%), Tangney WA (ALP, 2.8%), and Clark TAS (IND, 20.8%).
With the 3 May election appearing closer and closer in the rear-view mirror, the Coalition has ramped up its policy announcements, hoping they’ll be enough to turn the red wave indicated in recent polls. The announcements made this week were:
- $21 billion over the next five years to lift Defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, with the aspiration of achieving 3% of GDP within a decade.
- $750 million for a package of measures to tackle crime, including the establishment of a National Drug Enforcement and Organised Crime Strike Team, the introduction of new laws to disrupt organised criminal syndicates, and the piloting of a National Child Sex Offenders Disclosure Scheme.
- $300 million to upgrade the Calder Freeway in Melbourne’s west.
- $112.5 million to widen the Shelley Bridge in Tangney in Western Australia.
- $100 million for a grants program to fund regional boarding school infrastructure and create up to 660 new places, primarily for Indigenous students.
- $90 million for a domestic violence strategy focused on prevention, early intervention and crisis response.
Interesting Preference Deal
However, it wasn’t just policies that the Coalition announced this week. In an interesting turn of events, the leader of the One Nation Party, Senator Pauline Hanson and the Coalition have agreed to preference each other on their how-to-vote cards.
Specifically, in 139 of the 147 seats where One Nation is running a candidate, the Coalition will recommend that its voters put One Nation second. In turn, One Nation are preferencing the Liberal and National Party second in ten crucial seats. These include the New South Wales seats of Hunter, Paterson, Shortland, Whitlam, Calare, Queensland’s Blair, Monash, Dickson, Victoria’s Bruce, and Tasmania’s Lyons.
This new agreement comes 24 years after former Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard, stated that One Nation should be preferenced last in every seat. However, as the polls predict a gloomy outcome for the Coalition come 3 May, support from One Nation is more crucial than ever.
What’s Next?
With polling day just one week away, what comes next? How long until the swearing-in of the new ministry or the first day of the 48th Parliament? These are important questions for forward thinking organisations looking to re-engage with the government following the election.
Join us next week as we examine the process and duration of government formation following a federal election. If you are interested in a briefing, please connect with the Nexus APAC team here.
Photo credit: Johnscotaus
