Election 2022 LIVE updates: Scott Morrison insists Coalition’s Super Home Buyer Scheme is ‘well-calibrated’; Anthony Albanese wants deeper ties with South-East Asia
Key posts
- Morrison side-steps questions on hung parliament, election loss
- Albanese wants more focus on South-East Asia if elected
- Coalition opens up superannuation rift
- This morning’s headlines at a glance
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Morrison side-steps questions on hung parliament, election loss
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned voters in inner-city Liberal seats they are risking a strong economy if they vote for independents, suggesting they have forgotten what it’s like to deal with economic shocks.
In a feisty interview with the ABC’s 7.30, Morrison told the inner-city voters toying with change that “you can’t invest in climate change unless you have a strong economy”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking from Queensland yesterday.Credit:James Brickwood
Asked if he would step down as Liberal leader if he lost the election, Morrison side-stepped the question by noting 7.30 host Leigh Sales had already announced she would step down as host of the program later this year.
“Leigh, I don’t speculate on things like that,” Morrison said.
“Oh, come on, it’s in a few days’ time. You must be thinking about it,” Sales responded.
“The only person who’s announced their retirement is you, Leigh, and I wish you very well for your retirement, I commend you on the great job you’ve done for a long time,” Morrison said.
More on this story here.
Albanese wants more focus on South-East Asia if elected
Labor leader Anthony Albanese will bring a package of South-East Asia policies to a meeting of the Quad grouping next week if he is elected prime minister in a sign that his party wants to have a greater focus on the region.
The package will include $470 million in foreign aid over four years for South-East Asia and a special envoy and creation of an office for the region within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese speaking to the media from Perth yesterday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The leaders of the Quad – Australia, the United States, Japan and India – are scheduled to meet in Tokyo on Tuesday, May 24, provided a prime minister in Canberra is confirmed in time after this Saturday’s election.
A bipartisan parliamentary inquiry last year urged the government to deepen its diplomatic engagement in South-East Asia while forging new groups such as the Quad and the AUKUS partnership with the US and Britain.
Labor’s spokeswoman for foreign affairs Penny Wong said her party had “always understood the importance of South-East Asia”.
She said Australia shared many challenges with the region including changes to the regional order, pandemic recovery and climate change.
Read more about Labor’s plans here.
Coalition opens up superannuation rift
A key Liberal backbencher wants homeowners to be able to use superannuation to pay off their mortgages after the Coalition revealed it wants first home buyers to dip into it for house deposits – a policy former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said would inflate home prices and undermine retirement savings.
Economists say the main issue for Australian housing is a lack of supply.Credit:Wolter Peeters
The plan has sparked an election fight on housing affordability, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison bids to claw back ground with voters worried about owning their own homes in an expensive property market.
Morrison said the Coalition’s housing policy – allowing first home buyers with at least a 5 per cent deposit to withdraw 40 per cent, or up to $50,000, from their superannuation account – had been carefully thought out.
“It’s your money and it should be your home,” he said.
But the policy has been met with heavy criticism from Labor, the superannuation industry and some economists who argue it will push house prices up, making the market less affordable for those trying to get in.
Read the full story here.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Tuesday, March 17. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day. Rachel Clun will be on deck later this morning to cover the blow-by-blow of the election campaign.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
- The Coalition’s plan to allow first home buyers to dip into their superannuation to purchase their first house continues to make headlines. As Rachel Clun and James Massola report, a key Liberal backbencher wants homeowners to be able to use their super to pay off their mortgages.
- Anthony Galloway and Peter Hartcher write that Labor leader Anthony Albanese will travel to South-East Asia next week if he becomes prime minister-elect over the weekend. Labor wants a greater focus on South-East Asia, including more foreign aid and a special office for the region.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested traditional Liberal voters in inner-city seats are being enticed to vote for “teal” independents because they are more insulated from economic shocks than other parts of the country. Latika Bourke reports that the PM has also refused to say if he’ll step aside in the event of a hung parliament (should a potentially expanded crossbench prefer to negotiate with a different Liberal leader).
- And in other news, Australians have until 6pm tomorrow to apply for a postal vote. The Australian Electoral Commission says measures will be in place to allow phone voting if a voter tests positive to COVID-19 between tomorrow night and Saturday’s election.
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