Australia politics live: Peter Dutton says federal election a ‘sliding doors moment’ for the nation in budget reply speech

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There’s only a brief mention of defence in Dutton’s speech, despite reports the party is considering increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

But we might get more soon, and Dutton gives us a forward sizzle, saying there’ll be a “significant funding commitment to defence” during the election campaign.

Earlier this month the Coalition pledged $3bn for fighter jets, but there’s no new spending announced tonight.

Tonight, Dutton just backs the Aukus agreement, saying his government would “spend taxpayers’ money wisely”.

Aukus too has the potential to foster a new arm of our economy and transform our civil industrial base.

We will spend taxpayers’ money wisely – in a manner which has an economic multiplying effect, generates productivity, and can attract new investment.

My intention is to energise our domestic defence industry. And to re-tool the ADF with asymmetric capabilities to deter a larger adversary.

Dutton promises a dedicated antisemitism taskforce

Community safety is becoming an increasingly talked-about issue by the opposition, and Dutton makes several commitments on that front.

He focuses on immigration detainees released after a high court decision, overseas boat arrivals and the rise of antisemitism.

This government has released 300 hardcore criminals from immigration detention into the community – with more than a third having reoffended ...

We will establish a dedicated antisemitism taskforce to turn the tide of this scourge of hatred.

We will work with states and territories to develop national uniform knife laws. We will toughen bail laws to stop domestic violence offenders.

It’s an area the opposition has sought to dominate and lead the narrative on, particularly with their attacks calling Albanese a “weak” leader on national and domestic security.

Dutton says he’ll provide the “leadership needed to restore law, order, and justice”.

Dutton pledges more funding for youth mental health services

On health, the Coalition had already announced it would match Labor’s $8.5bn spend on boosting medicare rebates for GP sessions, and $500m for women’s health.

Dutton says he’ll reinstate the 20 subsidised mental health visits up from 10 – another policy he’s previously committed to.

New promises include funding for youth mental health:

Tonight, I announce that a Dutton Coalition government will invest an additional $400m into youth mental health services.

We will expand the remit of the national centre for excellence in youth mental health which i created in 2014, into a national institute.

He also commits to boosting regional mental health services, particularly those for young people.

Dutton promises to cut permanent migration by 25%

On housing and migration (which have come under one umbrella for the opposition leader in his speech), Dutton promises to cut permanent migration by 25%.

It’s not new, and previously there’d been some confusion over the Coalition’s pledge to cut net migration more deeply, but there’s no mention of net migration tonight.

He also pledges to put stricter caps on foreign students which he says will “relieve stress on rental markets” (an international student cap is something the government had previously tried to do, but received no support from the crossbench nor the Coalition).

Under the Coalition, we will cut the migration intake to free up housing and restore the great Australian dream of home ownership. We will cut the permanent migration program by 25%.

We will ban foreign investors and temporary residents from purchasing existing Australian homes for two years.

Dutton has also announced a target of 400,000 apprentices and trainees training across Australia, with an incentive payment for small and medium sized businesses to support them.

He says this program would have a “particular focus on the building and construction sector”.

My colleague Dan Jervis-Bardy has more of the details on Dutton’s gas reservation policy and his other announcements here:

Dutton goes all-in on gas in budget reply speech

Above the commitment to introduce a gas reservation scheme for the east coast, Dutton also promises to increase the number of gas projects, particularly in southern states, and halve times for project approvals (this includes fast-tracking WA’s north-west shelf - a pledge which the government says could trigger a lawsuit).

He’s also promising more money and incentives to develop new gas projects, which he promises will lower gas prices for households:

We will accelerate new investment in gas projects by reinstating a $300m strategic basin plan and include gas in the capacity investment scheme.

We will invest $1bn in a critical gas infrastructure fund to increase gas pipeline and storage capacity.

We will put in place ‘use it or lose it’ stipulations for gas drilling companies – so offshore gas fields are not locked up for years.

Adding gas to the capacity investment scheme (CIS) would open up significant subsidies for the gas industry. The government and experts have said the CIS should stay focused on renewables.

Dutton lists cuts he will implement to pay for fuel excise policy

So where will the Coalition raise the money it needs to pay for its promises including the $6bn fuel excise cut for 12 months?

Dutton confirms he will gut the public service by 41,000 staff, the number of staff that have been hired in the APS by Labor since 2022.

Labor says the bulk of these had come onboard to replace more expensive labour hire and contractors hired under the former Coalition government – and that cutting that amount of public servants would lead to wait time blowouts on critical public services like welfare and veterans assistance claims.

Dutton says:

We will end the reckless $20bn rewiring the nation fund. We will stop the $10bn housing Australia future fund, which has not built a single additional home.

We will scrap Labor’s $16bn of production tax credits over the next decade for critical minerals and green hydrogen.

We will reverse Labor’s increase of 41,000 Canberra-based public servants – saving $7bn a year.

He promises those cuts to the public service will not include frontline roles.

The other announcements aren’t new; Dutton has previously promised to reverse spending on the rewiring the nation fund, housing future fund and production tax credits.

The view from the peanut gallery

We’re in the chamber for Dutton’s budget reply. The public galleries are packed with Coalition senators, staffers and supporters. Down on the parliament floor, some in Labor are chortling at a few of Dutton’s claims.

A couple of Labor backbenchers giggled audibly when Dutton said he would introduce a bill named “the guaranteed funding for health, education and essential services bill.”

More in the government, including the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, were laughing more loudly when Dutton claimed Labor’s budget surpluses were “piggybacking off the former Coalition government’s strong economic management”.

Dutton says this election is a ‘sliding doors moment’ for the country

There’s no doubt this budget reply is a pre-election pitch.

Dutton calls this a “sliding doors moment” for the country.

He promises to introduce four bills on his first day of a Coalition government:

Every election is important. But this election matters more than others in recent history.

Dutton promises gas reservation policy as budget reply speech begins

Peter Dutton is unveiling his budget reply. This of course isn’t just replying to the government’s budget; it’s also his opportunity to outline the Coalition’s policies ahead of the next election, which will probably be called tomorrow.

As anticipated, there’s a focus on energy, housing, migration, and crime. And Dutton has also added health to that list, promising more money for youth mental health.

The headline policy from tonight, in addition to the already-reported fuel excise cut, is a gas reservation scheme on the east coast:

We will immediately introduce an east coast gas reservation. This will secure an additional 10% to 20% of the east coast’s demand – gas which would otherwise be exported.

Gas sold on the domestic market will be decoupled from overseas markets to protect Australia from international price shocks.

He claims the policy will lower wholesale domestic gas prices from $14 per gigajoule to under $10 per gigajoule.

Good evening

We are gearing up for the opposition leader’s budget reply which will begin at 7:30pm AEDT.

We can expect a focus on cost of living, housing, energy and migration – themes that will be key battlegrounds during the election campaign.

We’ll bring it all to you live as it comes.

Summary

We’ll be back with you at 7pm and bring you opposition leader Peter Dutton’s budget in reply, but in the meantime – here’s what happened today:

It’s almost certain the prime minister will be driving in the white car (as he keeps calling it) tomorrow to the Governor General’s to call the election.

The opposition announced they’ll introduce a cut to the fuel excise which they say will save households hundreds of dollars a year, while also revealing they’d repeal the government’s tax cuts that were legislated last night.

There was also some doubt raised at how much money the fuel excise would save families.

It was revealed the PM’s ‘delulu with no solulu’ quip in QT yesterday was actually a dare from a podcast he’s done.

Over in estimates, the Home Affairs department secretary revealed she sometimes uses disappearing messages for work – following that story out of the US of a journalist being added to a top secret government group chat.

AFP confirms agencies referred for investigation over media leaks regarding caravan full of explosives

Staying on estimates, the Australian Federal Police says it has referred leaks to the media about a caravan found laden with explosives on the outskirts of Sydney to multiple unnamed authorities for investigation.

The caravan’s existence was first revealed by the Daily Telegraph, prompting criticism of police for not immediately disclosing its discovery. Police later confirmed the discovery was part of a fake terrorism plot and a hoax, allegedly concocted by organised criminals.

During a Senate estimates hearing, an AFP deputy commissioner, Krissy Barrett, criticised the disclosure of information to unnamed media outlets:

I can confirm that we have referred that to the appropriate agencies for investigation. There have been a number of referrals. I won’t confirm which agencies, due to restrictions around that.

Barrett also accused some unnamed media reporting on the police operation to have undermined its investigation.

With every media article that’s continued to draw this investigation out in the public domain, our members have had to quickly pivot and adapt their investigative strategies.

AFP commissioner warns threats made against political figures is increasing

The AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, is appearing at estimates, warning the number of reports of threats to politicians and electorate offices is increasing.

Kershaw said the threats have been directed at “high office holders, federal parliamentarians, dignitaries and electorate offices.”

He breaks down the numbers:

In 2021-22, there were 555 reports;

In 2022-23, there were 709 reports;

In 2023-24, there were 1,009 reports; and

This financial year, as of 28 February, 2025, there have been 712 reports. At this rate, the number of threats this financial year will surpass those in 2023-24.

He says threats directed at male politicians and high office holders have included cases where bullets have been sent in the mail, but he is particularly worried at the threats being sent to females.

The nature of threats and comments directed at female parliamentarians and high office holders is particularly troubling, with a common feature being offensive material centred on derogatory language about their appearance.

These threats, which are being made online or are being sent in the post or over the phone, are sometimes also directed at their children.

Urgent care clinic presentations five times more expensive than GP consults

Urgent care clinic presentations are five times more expensive than a standard GP consult, but cheaper than hospital visits, according to an interim report from the government.

The interim program evaluation report released by the government today says the annualised Australian government funding support for standard Medicare UCCs is estimated to be $246.50 a presentation.

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) says that cost is five times higher than the standard GP consult of $42, amid concerns that the government is committing to funding more of these clinics before there has been a proper evaluation of the program.

The RACGP’s president, Dr Michael Wright, said the interim report validated many of the college’s concerns regarding urgent care clinics and still left many unanswered questions:

The report confirms what we already knew: urgent care clinics are an expensive model of care, which could be better and more efficiently delivered through existing general practices.

The government’s election commitment to roll out more urgent care clinics will mean more than $1bn will be spent on setting up these clinics, and the report states that each presentation costs $246.50. This sum is cheaper than a visit to a hospital emergency department; however, it’s significantly more expensive than a standard GP consult, which costs taxpayers a little over $42.

So, your average urgent care clinic visit, seeing a GP who you may not even know, is more than five times as expensive as a consult with your regular GP.

Wright said the most cost-effective way for the government to increase access to urgent care and ease pressure on hospitals would be to support existing practices in expanding their current services, including offering more after-hours services.