Australia election 2025 live: Albanese falls from stage after speech to unions conference; Abbie Chatfield cleared of wrongdoing by AEC after PM interview
Albanese tumbles on stage after giving speech in Newcastle
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Just back to Anthony Albanese’s speech at the Mining and Energy Union conference in the Hunter this afternoon:
After delivering the speech, Albanese appeared to stumble on stage, prompting gasps from the union members gathered in the room. He quickly recovered and appears OK.
He was also asked about this on ABC Newcastle radio just now, and said:
I stepped back one step. I didn’t fall off the stage … Just one leg went down, but I was sweet.
Key events
Dutton campaign lands in Busselton, WA
Josh Butler
Peter Dutton has touched down in Busselton, WA for a brief local visit to the seat of Forrest. We’ve jumped off the plane for a quick press conference just outside the airport.
The rain is coming down so this might be a short media appearance. The seat is held by Coalition MP Nola Marino, who is retiring. Ben Small, formerly a Liberal senator, is running to replace her.
Dutton is announcing $16m to upgrade the airport at Busselton here.
Shadow trade minister continues Coalition argument it could have achieved different tariff outcome
The shadow trade minister, Kevin Hogan, is continuing the Coalition’s argument it would have been able to achieve a different outcome on tariffs for Australia.
Speaking on ABC Afternoon Briefing, he argued Mexico and Canada were able to get exemptions and “we know, as a dealmaker, we could have potentially gotten a deal like Canada and Mexico”.
Host Patricia Karvelas pointed out that Canada and Mexico were slapped with tariffs, along with the rest of the world and that cumulatively Australia has had less of an impact. Hogan, though, argued:
While we just highlighted where Canada and Mexico did get slapped with tariffs, most goods and services they sell to each other through their FTA’s have been made exempt … And as Arthur just said, Trump is still open to negotiations on these things, we know he’s transactional, leader to leader, so there’s still possibilities to get a better deal.
Karvelas also quoted Sinodinos, who said the “Trump administration are determined to have higher tariffs … by minimising exemptions and exceptions”. Hogan continued his argument though, saying “I think there are examples like Canada, like Mexico, that have had products made exempt”.
So, if Peter Dutton got a phone call with Donald Trump, would he have truly walked out with a deal when no other country did? Hogan didn’t specify how, but still said, “we got a deal previously”.
I do agree [with] most of the points you have made. Trump is a believer in tariffs, the people around him believe in this. It is going to be a difficult thing to do, but you have to give it your best shot and I do not think necessarily we have.
Sinodinos says he encouraged Americans to approach Australia over differences on beef
Arthur Sinodinos said that the Trump administration should have approached Australia when it came to differences on beef, saying:
What should have happened here is that Trump administration should have come to the Australian government and said, look, we have certain issues around beef, there is a lack of reciprocity, can we review the way you do things on biosecurity, consistent with your standards, so that we can get greater access? I mean, I encouraged the Americans to do that. We all did. I think that would have been a better way to go than what has happened here.
So, the US didn’t do that or did Australia just not respond? The former ambassador said:
I think the issue was just let go and let slip and never really properly focused on. The urgent always crowds out the important.
In his speech today, Donald Trump singled out Australia’s ban on the import of US beef – imposed in 2003 after the US had cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.
Former US ambassador says Australia shouldn’t ‘lightly throw away assets like Pine Gap’
On Pine Gap, and whether that should be part of any negotiations with the US to get an exemption, Arthur Sinodinos said it was “rash” for “Australia to put security installations like that on the table”.
These things have a value in their own right, [but] they are not pawns in a trade game … If we look like we are prepared to trade with the defence and security relationship in order to get a trade advantage, that is not to a longer term strategic advantage.
A longer term strategic advantage is to keep the US locked into this region, by being a strong partner to the US and explaining to them why their tied up with the security of countries like us in the Indo-Pacific. We don’t lightly throw away assets like Pine Gap.
‘Much tougher to get a deal on tariffs this time than 2018’, Sinodinos says
Arthur Sinodinos was asked about claims from the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, that he would have somehow been able to achieve a different outcome on tariffs for Australia.
(No other country was exempted, and when asked how he would have achieved this at an earlier press conference, Dutton could not answer specifically.)
Sinodinos said it would have been “much tougher to get a deal this time around than say in 2018”.
The Trump administration are determined to have higher tariffs. They believe that will generate revenue, they want the protective effect, and they believe they get that by minimising exemptions and exceptions.
But as usual with the president, he is leaving the door open. We will see what that means in terms of potential negotiations of individual country deals, but it is a hard environment for any country to get an exception here in the US at the moment.
Former ambassador to the US weighs in on further tariffs
Former Liberal senator and ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos is up on ABC Afternoon Briefing to weigh in on the latest tariffs.
He said it was true Australia “didn’t cop it much as many other countries,” but argued the broader impact was relevant:
What we have to be concerned about is that there will be retaliation, potentially by the major blocks – like the EU as well as the Chinese and others – and what does this mean about global trade and investment?
We are successful trading nation, we rely on trade, so we are in a situation now where I think we’re going be buffeted by some very choppy waters and a lot of uncertainty in global business tonight about how they’re going to handle these tariffs.
Sinodinos said that whoever is elected prime minister should “come to the US pretty quickly and eyeball the president”, and have a “leader to leader” conversation on this.
Man charged with intimidation after alleged antisemitic comments
A man has been charged with intimidation after an alleged antisemitic incident in Sydney earlier this year.
NSW police said they have been investigating reports of antisemitic comments directed at a Kogarah hospital staff member in a lift on 28 February.
Officers arrested a 24-year-old man in Arncliffe this morning, who was taken to St George police station and charged with stalking and intimidation, and possessing violent extremist material.
He was refused bail to appear in Sutherland local court today.
Police said two mobile phones have been taken for further examination, after being seized when a search warrant was executed at premises in Arncliffe.
Wong responds to Keating’s suggestion that Trump tariffs signal end of NATO
Wrapping up the interview, Penny Wong was asked about comments from former PM Paul Keating that Donald Trump’s tariff announcement “represents the effective death knell of NATO”.
She said the government’s job was to “continue to seek strategic stability,” including Australia’s strategic partnership with the US and Aukus.
In relation to Nato, I think it is important to remember Nato is a very important contributor to global peace and stability. There is no doubt we live in an uncertain world … a world where we see more conflict and frankly more division. Our job, from Australia’s perspective, is to be a voice for continued engagement, continued strategic stability, because that underpins peace.
Are those institutions still in good health? Wong answered:
I do not believe suggesting that they are ending is in Australia’s interest.
Wong says direct negotiation over tariffs preferable to WTO
Asked about whether Australia might take the US to the World Trade Organization over the latest tariffs, Penny Wong said the government’s preference was to negotiate directly:
We have dispute resolution mechanisms available to us, both within the free-trade agreement and at the WTO. Our preference is to negotiate directly and to try to resolve this. That is what would like to do and what the government will be doing certainly if we are re-elected.
Should Australia revisit its restriction on US beef?
Penny Wong said Australia’s biosecurity decisions should be guided by science:
I want science the guide that process, it’s important for Australia and our industries and for our reputation that we ensure that our biosecurity is scientifically based.
Is the science still saying we must have this restrictions? Wong suggested it is:
As I understand – it is obviously not my portfolio – that process is not yet finalised to the extent that that position could be changed, and we certainly don’t propose to be compromising our bio security regime.
Wong says reciprocal tariffs would put costs on Australian consumers
Does Penny Wong think Australia can live with a 10% tariff, because getting out of it might be too costly for our country?
She told host Patricia Karlevas that “I don’t agree with how you have put that”.
Let’s remember tariffs are paid by the US consumer, ultimately. That is where the cost of tariffs fall. That is why we are not going down the path of reciprocal tariffs – that is putting Australian tariffs on because we know that would be making Australian consumers pay the price of this difference of views on a trade.
Wong said Australia would “continue to put our view very clearly” to the US and “diversify our economic relationships”.
Wong says defence relationship with US important ‘regardless of disagreements on economic policy’
Asked about Australia’s defence relationship with the US amid the tariff announcements, and whether Pine Gap should play a role in any negotiations, Penny Wong responded:
I think it’s very important that we continue to preserve and protect our strategic relationship and our institutional relationship with the United States.
The foreign affairs minister said she was “surprised that Peter Dutton would be so reckless as to suggest a different approach.”
We think it is important to remember the US administration, regardless of our disagreements on economic policy, we have a very important strategic relationship with them and we have had for decades. We have a very important relationship when it comes to Aukus and we are pleased with the continued and bipartisan support for Aukus.
Wong says Dutton ‘so arrogant as to be delusional’ with claims he could have achieved different tariff outcome
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says that “no country is in a better position than Australia” after today’s tariff announcements from the United States.
Speaking with ABC’s Afternoon Briefing just now, she said:
As the prime minister has made clear, we believe these tariffs are unwarranted – certainly inconsistent with the free trade agreement – and they go against the spirit of the friendship between our two countries.
But Wong said that “unlike [Peter] Dutton, we don’t want a deal at any cost”, and took aim at him as being “so arrogant as to be delusional”.
He seriously thinks he uniquely, amongst all leaders in the world, could have got a better deal. The reality is this is the decision president Trump and his administration have made. It is central to their political and economic strategy. We disagree with it for the reasons the prime minister has outlined.
Patrick Commins
Impact on American consumers from Trump’s tariffs
As the rest of the world chews on the bitter tariff stew served up this morning, spare a thought for American households – the very ones Trump is claiming he’s there to “make wealthy again”.
The average American will be $US3,800 ($6,000) worse off this year thanks to Trump’s tariff policies, according to Yale University’s recently created thinktank, The Budget Lab.
The poorest Americans will be hit the hardest in the short-term as taxes on imports push prices higher.
Clothing costs are anticipated to soar by 17%. The lowest income households will suffer a 4% drop in disposable income, versus a 1.6% drop for the wealthiest.
The US’s average effective tariff rate will reach 22.5% thanks to “liberation day”, or the highest since 1909, according to the new analysis.
The American economy will be nearly 1% smaller in 2025 thanks to the accumulated levies announced since Trump came to power, and most of that prospective damage is thanks to what was revealed today.
And US GDP will be permanently lower by 0.4%.
Before we feel too sorry for the US, its northern neighbour, Canada, will fare far worse: its economy will be 2% smaller in the long run.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Murray Watt dismisses Dutton’s IR climbdown
The workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, has just responded to news Peter Dutton has ruled out repealing “same job, same pay” laws.
Speaking to reporters after Anthony Albanese’s speech to the Mining and Energy Union conference, Watt said:
If you believe Peter Dutton on ‘same job, same pay’, I’ve got a mine shaft to sell you. Peter Dutton and his colleagues voted against the ‘same job, same pay’ laws. They called it at the time unAustralian and dangerous, they said the laws would close down Australia.
Does anyone really believe they are going to change position from that to all of a sudden start reporting it?
AEC says Abbie Chatfield podcasts did not breach electoral rules
Henry Belot
The Australian Electoral Commission has cleared podcast host Abbie Chatfield of any wrongdoing and said a review of her content has found it “does not require an authorisation statement”.
Liberal senators had raised concerns about some of the podcaster’s podcasts and material shared on social media, questioning whether it should have been classed as electoral material, which would require an official authorisation statement.
Anthony Albanese and Adam Bandt have both appeared on Chatfield’s podcast in recent weeks. Clips of the interviews were shared on both politician’s social media accounts. Chatfield has separately encouraged her followers to put the Liberal party last on ballot papers.
In a statement, an AEC spokesperson said that while the podcasts “could be viewed as being made for purpose of influencing how someone casts their vote, there is no evidence that there was a monetary benefit for the podcaster as a result of either Albanese or Bandt being invited onto the show”.
It appears that the invitations to Albanese or Bandt to participate were voluntary. In addition, questions put to both interviewees were sourced from the podcast’s audience. There is no evidence that either Albanese or Bandt had creative control in relation to the questions that were asked.
As such, the AEC is not satisfied that the episodes of Ms Chatfield’s podcasts on 21 February 2025 and 11 March 2025 could be considered to be paid advertising or to be communicated by or on behalf of a candidate or party. This content does not require an authorisation.
The AEC is making the outcome of this review public out of fairness to Ms Chatfield given the media coverage of the issue to date.
