Election 2025 live updates: Labor campaign launch under way in Perth after Dutton tells Liberal event ‘Australia will become a nuclear powered nation’
Australia would become ‘nuclear-powered nation’ under Coalition, Dutton says
Peter Dutton is now speaking about the Coalition’s nuclear policy and promises that Australia would become a “nuclear-powered nation” under the Coalition if elected.
With nuclear power there is no need carpet our national parks, our prime agricultural land and coastlines with industrial, solar and windfarms, or 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines …
Our economy has stagnated under the Albanese governments excessive and interference, privatising the agendas of inner-city Green voters, activists and union bosses, as they always do. Labor has used every tool at their disposal to target sectors critical for our economies.
It has gone after miners, small businesses, farmers, fishers and foresters, from Tasmania to Western Australia, and when these industries suffer, we all suffer. My intention is to make Australia a mining, agricultural and manufacturing powerhouse once again.
Key events
PM criticises ‘borrowed culture wars we didn’t want under Morrison and cannot risk under Dutton’
Anthony Albanese says that under the Coalition, they are “urging Australia not to go forward, but to go back.”
Keep in mind, that this is not some new generation Liberal team. These are the same people from less than three years ago, the same people pushing the same policies that inflicted a wasted decade on our country.
They want us to go back to that. If anything, they want a more extreme version of that. Back to chaos and confusion, when this moment demands measured leadership, and safe hands.
Back to people working for less, back to neglecting veterans and hounding the vulnerable, back to the phony conflicts and borrowed culture wars that we did not want under Scott Morrison, and we cannot risk under Peter Dutton …
Amidst all the noise of the Liberal campaign this much is clear, they have not learned and Peter Dutton will never change.
PM listing achievements as ‘building blocks of a good life’
Anthony Albanese is continuing to outline achievements from the past three years, including:
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87 new Medicare urgent care clinics, with another 50 top open
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Wage increase for aged care workers
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Full funding for schools as per Gonski
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Fee-free Tafe
The PM went on, saying Australia has “resumed our place as a leader in our region, a neighbour that the Pacific can count on and a nation engaged in the world.”
My fellow Australians, these are the strong foundations that we have laid together. Now we have to keep building – new homes, new infrastructure, new energy, and – more than bricks and mortar – the building blocks of a good life, for you, and for your family.
Albanese plugs government’s achievements over past three years
The prime minister is now listing his government’s achievements from the past three years, pointing to real wages growing, interest rates falling, and more than 1m jobs created – “more than any time in [a] term since federation.”
We choose the Australian way, helping people under pressure all the while building for the future. Navigating the rough seas, while always keeping our eyes on the horizon. That’s why we backed real wage rises for millions of workers, and cut taxes for every single taxpayer, not just some.
Anthony Albanese said under Labor, “People have the flexibility to work from home – and what’s more, when they get home from work, they have the right to disconnect.”
Women’s economic participation has reached record highs and the gender pay gap is at historic lows. We have expanded paid parental leave and added superannuation to it, and we have established ten days paid family and domestic violence leave.
Albanese says there is ‘still so much work to do’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is now addressing the crowd at Labor’s campaign launch event in Perth.
Like Richard Marles, he began by first acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land and paying respects to elders past, present and emerging.
Albanese said that “each and every day of the past three years”, the government has worked to deliver on its commitments “to repay the trust that people placed in us”.
Three years later, there is still Liberal mess to clean up. Still challenges to meet. There is still uncertainty that we must confront. And we are determined to keep helping and keep delivering for people under financial pressure.
That is what drives us. That is why we seek a second term. Not because we think the job is done but because we know there is still so much work to do.
Cook calls Albanese ‘WA’s partner in Canberra’
Roger Cook has been pitching Anthony Albanese as “WA’s partner in Canberra”. He said:
We see eye to eye. I have known Anthony for a long time. He listens. He has empathy. He has energy and tact. He remembers his roots and is living proof that in Australia, a boy from public housing can realistically aspire to the highest office in the land. Most importantly, he has an actual vision for this country we all love and call home.
WA premier says former Liberal government ‘trashed’ relationships
Back at the Labor campaign launch in Perth, the state premier, Roger Cook, is now speaking.
Cook said Anthony Albanese was a friend of WA, “but importantly, he [has] not been a fair-weather friend”.
No other minister in recent history has invested as much in building their relationship with Western Australia than Albanese, and that is not easy – especially when so much of politics takes place in the eastern states.
Cook also spoke about the former Liberal government and said it wasn’t that long ago that “many of our international blessings were attacked”.
Liberals shattered friends faster than Elon Musk. This affected more than our representation, [it] affected our economy. [It] did its own defence plans for nearly a decade and famously upset the French – the French of all people. [They made] insulting jokes about rising sea levels. They abandoned diplomacy without top trading partner China in favour of aggressive rhetoric. This culminated in a legacy of Chinese tariffs against beef, barley, wine, timber and crayfish.
As an export state, it was an appalling experience. Relationships that took years to build trashed at the expense of local industries and local WA jobs.
Sarah Basford Canales
Dutton wraps up appearance at Liberal campaign launch
Jumping back to the Liberal campaign launch momentarily: After Peter Dutton wrapped up his speech, his wife, Kirilly, and three adult children joined the stage.
The family waved to the crowd before the opposition leader greeted former prime ministers Scott Morrison, John Howard and Tony Abbott, who had been sitting in the front row.
There were plenty of cheers in the crowd.
Morrison was asked by reporters what he thought of the campaign so far.
The former prime minister said Dutton still had three “very strong weeks” to sell his plans to Australian voters.
Marles says Australia ‘doesn’t need to borrow our slogans’ from the US
Richard Marles has also taken aim at Peter Dutton for “trying to copy and paste policies” from the US, saying:
Cuts and culture wars have no place here. He has been caught out this campaign trying to copy and paste policies from overseas to try and win an election here in Australia. In these uncertain times, we need leadership that is considered, not chaotic. Reliable, not reckless. Anthony Albanese is providing leadership Australia needs right now, and Peter Dutton could not more different …
Australia is a great country. We don’t need to borrow our ideas and we don’t need to borrow our slogans either.
Marles says Dutton’s plan is ‘cuts and more cuts’
Richard Marles has highlighted Peter Dutton’s comments that he wants to perform “economic surgery” on the country, and said:
That definitely sounds painful, and there ain’t no way that ain’t going to hurt, because only one procedure Dr Dutton knows how to perform – cuts and more cuts. Medicare, Dutton it will cut it. Energy bill belief, Dutton will cut it. Tafe, Dutton will cut it. New housing, Dutton will cut. Jobs and wages, Dutton will cut it …
Why does Peter Dutton need to cut? Why does Peter Dutton want to make you pay? So he can spend $600bn on his precious pet project: a nuclear power scheme that will take long to finish, cost too much to build and won’t deliver enough energy.
Marles compares Albanese to Dutton, says opposition leader is ‘serving himself’
Richard Marles has taken aim at Peter Dutton for his comments on the radio about wanting to live in Sydney if elected PM. He said:
[Dutton] was on radio telling everyone that when he becomes prime minister he wants to live in a mansion on Sydney Harbour, which, remember, is exactly where he was at a Liberal fundraiser when a cyclone was barrelling towards his home state of Queensland.
Anthony was actually there in Brisbane [with] the defence force personnel serving the community. Peter Dutton was on Sydney harbour, serving himself …
Marles argued this “sums up the difference in character between these two men”.
Anthony Albanese, who understands the power of his office and how he can use it to help Australians, and Peter Dutton, thinking about the perks of the office, and what he can do with it to help himself.
Marles outlines three years of progress, arguing it could be ‘lost in less than three weeks’
The deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, is up next – speaking about what Labor has achieved over the past three years.
He pointed to real wages going up, more jobs, tax cuts, cheaper childcare and medicines, 87 urgent care clinics, fully funded public schools, fee-free Tafe and cutting Hecs by 20%. He said:
While there is a lot to be proud of, there is still a lot left to do and to build – and there is so much that we must protect. All of that progress is at risk in this election, it could all be lost, and in less than three weeks.
Aly says Australia ‘bows to no one and looks down to no one’ under Labor
Anne Aly said that under Labor, Australia would be a country that “bows to no one and looks down on no one”.
And we will do this on the way we have always done it, the Labor way – making a difference that ultimately lifts us all.
She said the party stood on the shoulders of every Labor member, union member and volunteer, saying, “We need more of you out there.”
Friends, we are stronger together. And we are better together. And for that, our nation is better.
Labor campaign launch kicks off in Perth
The Labor campaign launch begins in Perth with the youth and early childhood minister, Anne Aly, as the first speaker.
She said that when Labor governments were elected, “lives are changed for the better”.
Maybe its the story of a struggling single mother, or the story of the son of a single mother who grew up in public housing. The Labor party is built on your stories, it is built on the stories of opportunity, and of hard work, and of aspiration. But these are not just stories, they are actually powerful realities. Because we all know that when Labor governments are elected, lives are changed for the better …
You know what a Labor government has achieved in just one term. Now imagine what we can do in the second.
Welcome to country given at Labor campaign launch in WA
A welcome to country is now taking place at the Labor campaign launch in Perth. It’s worth noting that we did not see one at the Liberal campaign launch earlier.
Josh Butler
Gillard the special guest at Labor campaign launch
The former prime minister Julia Gillard is the special guest at the Labor campaign launch, which is about to start.
She has just arrived at the convention centre to a standing ovation, taking a seat in the front row among senior cabinet ministers.
The venue is now playing a video montage highlighting Labor’s achievements in government. The soundtrack is a song with the lyrics “this is what we do”, pointing to investments in health, “fairer tax cuts”, and “improving the lives of every Australian”.
Josh Butler
Labor campaign launch event about to begin in Perth
The Labor campaign launch event is about to begin in Perth. The room at this convention centre is filled with about 500 people, Labor sources said.
The front rows are filled with the expected frontbench cohort, including Richard Marles, Jim Chalmers, Katy Gallagher, Jason Clare and Penny Wong. We can also see the WA premier, Roger Cook, and the former Labor leader Kim Beazley.
Anthony Albanese’s son, Nathan, is also in the front.
Above a giant sign with Labor’s “building Australia’s future” slogan are large Australian, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander flags.
The venue is playing Australian rock classics like Jimmy Barnes and Powderfinger.
Dutton concludes speech with call to get Australia ‘back on track’
Wrapping up his speech, Peter Dutton ends with these words:
We live in the best country in the world, but our country has gone backwards because of this bad government. Australians can’t afford three more years like the last three. This election is about your future. It is about your family’s future, and it is about our country’s future …
I stand before you as a former police officer, as someone who started and successfully ran a number of small businesses, as a parliamentarian and a minister with 23 years experience across economic, national security and social portfolios. I’m ready to serve Australians as the strong prime minister and steady hand our country needs, and I lead a united and capable team. We are ready to govern. This is a pivotal election that will shape our future …
Australians, let’s make sure that we can get this great country that we love back on track.
Dutton says Coalition will ensure classroom place of ‘education not indoctrination’
Moving to education, Peter Dutton said education standards “have been in decline [and] it’s not an issue of funding”.
We’re now at a point where we know it’s not a funding issue. The issue is what’s being taught in our institutions. A Coalition government is committed to ensuring that classrooms are places of education – not indoctrination …
Under a Liberal Party that I lead, under a Coalition government that David Littleproud and I lead, our government will never be a substitute for parents and for parenting. We believe in the sanctity of parents and the role that they have in raising their children.
Coalition will conduct ‘full audit’ on funding for Indigenous programs, Duttom pledges
Peter Dutton said Jacinta Price would conduct a “long overdue, full audit” on government spending for Indigenous programs.
We will identify what’s working and what’s not. We will re-introduce measures that we know in government worked, in consultation with communities, particularly where drugs and alcohol are prevalent. We will hold a royal commission into sexual abuse in Indigenous communities.
It’s worth noting there is no evidence to support a royal commission on this issue.
