Australia election live 2025: Allegra Spender takes aim at ‘misleading and offensive’ unauthorised pamphlets targeting her

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Would a Coalition government cut foreign aid?

David Coleman was also asked if he could guarantee no cuts to foreign aid under a Coalition government.

He said the Coalition would have “more to say about foreign aid in the days ahead”.

It’s a very important part of our foreign affairs policy. We spend about $5bn a year on foreign aid, so it’s a substantial amount of expenditure and it’s particularly crucial in our region, the Pacific … We will have more to say on that in the future. Obviously very conscious of the importance.

Coleman continues call for briefing on prospect of Russian aircraft in Indonesia

The shadow foreign minister, David Coleman, was also up on ABC Afternoon Briefing this afternoon – asked why there is an obligation on the government to provide a briefing on the prospect of Russian aircraft in Indonesia, when Indonesia has ruled this out?

Coleman accused Anthony Albanese of being like a “magician that says ‘look over there, don’t look at me’”.

This is a really serious matter. The prospect of Russian military expansion in our region is chilling. If Russia has sought access to a military base on a permanent base in Indonesia, that is a very significant issue for our national security.

Coleman argued that “all we’re getting from the government is evasion” and it was important for the Coalition to understand “the status of this issue” if elected.

He was asked about Malcolm Turnbull’s comments on the program earlier, that it was not normal to provide a briefing like this during caretaker mode. Coleman was asked if he accepted this, but responded:

No, I don’t actually. As I said, there were briefings provided in the last election campaign … The government can put up any technical argument but plainly, it is reasonable for the opposition to be briefed on this.

Turnbull says nuclear a ‘really bad idea’ that ‘never had legs economically or in legitimate policy terms’

Malcolm Turnbull also pointed to the Coalition’s nuclear power policy, citing one poll that suggested it was the largest turn-off to voters.

Peter Dutton has faced questioning from reporters in recent days as to why he has appeared to distance himself from nuclear power, neglecting to visit any sites of proposed power stations and instead clocking up a dozen visits to petrol bowsers.

Turnbull told the program:

To be honest, I’m not surprised [about the poll]. It’s a really bad idea. It has never had any legs economically or in legitimate policy terms. It is a fact that no private sector energy company would contemplate undertaking nuclear generation. It doesn’t make sense for Australia.

Our future is renewables, wind and solar backed by batteries and hydro … Nuclear was designed as a wedge issue. It played well in the rightwing media, a way to say … ‘you don’t like renewables, neither do I’.

Turnbull accuses Dutton of being ‘Trump-like’

Just circling back to Malcolm Turnbull’s interview on ABC Afternoon Briefing, where he said Peter Dutton’s leadership is an “issue” for his former party and that he has poorly aligned himself with Donald Trump.

Turnbull has been a strong critic of the Trump administration and told the Press Club this month that Australia’s leader needed to stand up for the country’s own national interests.

Asked why the Coalition was struggling according to opinion polls, Turnbull said he thought it was “clear”.

Dutton is an issue. His personality … perception of being close to Trump or Trump-like is clearly an issue.

Spender says pamphlet campaign ‘designed to ensure Liberal win in Wentworth’

In a written statement issued after her press conference, Allegra Spender alleged the pamphlet is “clearly designed to ensure a win for the Liberal party in Wentworth.”.

I have faith that the AEC will get to the bottom of who is behind this document and hold them accountable. The public deserves to know who is behind this cowardly attack and what their motivations are …

My team and I will be cooperating fully with the AEC investigation. I encourage people in Wentworth to alert the AEC if they identify people distributing this illegal material.

Spender says distribution of unauthorised pamphlets “unlawful”

Allegra Spender said there was a “variety of false and misleading and offensive claims in this pamphlet” but didn’t want to “spread them further”.

But she claimed it was “unlawful.”

Tomorrow is when pre-poll opens. Tomorrow is when Australians start to vote, and to distribute this sort of material – which is unlawful under the act for very good reason – the day before we start pre-polling, just shows what sort of approach whoever is distributing them is trying to take.

Spender takes aim at ‘misleading and offensive’ unauthorised pamphlets targeting her

Allegra Spender, the independent member for Wentworth, is speaking to reporters after the electoral commission revealed it’s received complaints on the distribution of unauthorised pamphlets opposing her.

You can read more about this earlier in the blog here. Speaking just now, Spender said:

I welcome today’s announcement that the AEC are taking action against 47,000 illegal pamphlets being distributed in Wentworth. This pamphlet spreads false, misleading and offensive claims about me, and does so anonymously. This anonymous and misleading campaign is designed to undermine me and to benefit my political opponents.

I urge anyone who has any information about the production or distribution of these campaign materials to get in touch with the AEC. I expect all my political opponents to condemn this sort of behaviour and to also provide any information that they may have as well … in terms of how this campaign was produced.

Turnbull says Russia-Indonesia briefing would be unusual during caretaker mode

Malcolm Turnbull was also asked about the Coalition’s ongoing call for more answers, in regards to Russia’s reported request to base aircraft in Indonesia.

Peter Dutton has been calling for a briefing on the matter, and what the government knew, and when. Turnbull argued that it’s “not normal to do briefings of this kind during caretaker [mode].”

During caretaker, the government is not able to make any new policy decisions. If they were planning to … then they would normally have to bring in the shadow minister and say ‘we are considering making this decision, we want you to be aligned with it’. But we are less than two weeks out from polling day, so no one is going to be making any big changes, so it’s not normal to give a briefing.

Turnbull said it would be “a big departure” were the Indonesian government to decide to allow a Russian military base in their territory.

Turnbull weighs in on negative gearing, capital gains tax

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is speaking with ABC Afternoon Briefing this afternoon about the current debate surrounding Medicare.

As Labor ruled out changes to negative gearing, and the Coalition took aim at Labor for previously commission modelling on negative gearing changes, Turnbull tweeted on Thursday:

OK to save time – negative gearing is examined by every government. It is a major tax concession and always contentious and so it is always looked at … There are many pages in my memoir describing the detailed consideration of negative gearing that went on in my government, in which Peter Dutton was a cabinet minister.

Speaking just now, Turnbull said he wrote the tweet because journalists were calling him and “I thought it was easier to state the fact in that tweet”.

He went on to say that governments have “always got to look at everything” and “keep an open mind”.

But both sides have ruled out any changes to negative gearing as I understand it and so it is not going to be a matter of the next parliament.

Turnbull said his government’s conclusion at the time was that repealing negative gearing would improve government revenue, but “we didn’t believe it would have anything other than a very short-term effect, or even then a negligible one, on housing affordability”.

On the capital gains tax concessions, Turnbull argued that “nobody in their right political mind would ever make changes to that”.

Street Side Medics announcement – in pictures

Here are some photos from the Street Side Medics announcement in St Kilda today, including Anthony Albanese with founder, Dr Daniel Nour: