Wong dismisses Dutton over ‘captain obvious’ suggestions for tariff response
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, says the US administration’s tariffs are a “poor decision”.
Wong is asked on Sky News to respond to Peter Dutton’s suggestion that there is a pathway to resolving the issues if there’s a “will”.
Wong calls Dutton “captain obvious”, suggesting the government is doing everything he’s pointed out already, and called him “reckless”.
Peter Dutton seems to think he’s Superman, but he’s actually Captain Obvious. He suggests that this is a time for negotiation, well, that is what we have been doing. He suggests we should be discussing critical minerals, I’m sure he will recall it’s quite been quite public, that is, that is what we have been doing …
But really, what we saw from Mr Dutton today is more reckless arrogance. We saw him today talking down Australia.
Wong says, as she mentioned during her press conference with the prime minister, that this is a time for unity across politics, and warns Dutton to “stop his relentless carping”.
Key events
Adeshola Ore
Jumping out of the campaign and back to Kim Williams at the Melbourne Press Club…
Williams has responded to comments made by Peter Dutton this week where he refused to rule out cuts to the ABC, saying the public broadcaster would need to demonstrate efficiency and excellence:
Williams says a “well-resourced ABC has never been more important”:
I don’t think the ABC has anything to apologise for in its continuing quest for excellence and its continuing obligation to operate with efficiency.
Asked if he believes a Coalition government would initiate a review of the ABC, Williams replies: “no doubt about it.”
Climate action group Rising Tide say it was their protesters who crashed Anthony Albanese’s media conference a short time ago.
The group started in Newcastle, NSW, around the Hunter region, and have been pushing to end all coal exports from Newcastle by 2030.
Rising Tide activists have also recently crashed the press conferences of Peter Dutton, Angus Taylor and Jim Chalmers.
Adeshola Ore
Williams has become emotional after reading messages from ABC viewers expressing gratitude for the the public broadcaster’s coverage of the ex-tropical cyclone Alfred last month.
Williams became teary as he said he could read these messages “for hours”, prompting an applause from the audience at the Melbourne Press Club:
What we do as members of the media is more than a public service. It’s something inseparable from the workings of the nation.
We need an extremely strong and well funded media. We need an extremely strong and well funded ABC.”
Amanda Meade
ABC chair tells Melbourne Press Club investment in broadcaster is ‘supporting Australian democracy’
ABC chair Kim Williams is addressing the Melbourne Press Club to mark his first 12 months as chair. His appearance comes the day after the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, hinted he may cut funding to the ABC if it was not efficient or excellent enough.
Williams is making a case for supporting the ABC in the interests of democracy, saying the ABC can provide trustworthy independent journalism in the face of a global assault on truth.
One direct way of supporting Australian democracy is before our very nose – to properly invest in the ABC.
We perform as well as we can with the allocations provided, and we are grateful to the Australian government for providing it to enable the ABC to serve audiences.
PM’s media conference crashed by climate protesters
A touch earlier, the PM did a quick press conference as well, in the NSW Hunter region, where he was talking up the government’s promise for more Medicare urgent care clinics.
Albanese was asked to respond to Peter Dutton’s reaction to the tariffs and said:
Peter Dutton doesn’t have any plans, [his] plan is to move into Kirribilli House to measure up the curtains. What we’ve done is to stand up for Australian interests.
But two climate protesters crashed that media conference as the PM was talking about supporting the region and its coal industry:
We want to make sure as the transition happens – we have established a net zero authority – what that’s about is making sure no community gets left behind. We support the coal industry.
The protesters yelled “Mr Albanese, why did your government approve 33 new fossil fuel projects?”
It’s my future, it has to stop.
The protesters were quickly ushered out of the building by security.
Dutton pressed on how he would negotiate tariffs with US
Dutton is tested again on what exactly he would put on the table in negotiations with the Trump administration.
One reporter asks whether Australians even want a fight with the US? Dutton replies:
Well, you bet that we’re going to get the best deal for our country, and we can do that through strong leadership.
He’s asked whether a Dutton government would be willing to withhold assets or from the US, but Dutton says his approach would be the “opposite”.
It’s about what we can bring to the table in a bigger deal with the United States. I think there is opportunity for us to take what is a bad decision, and decision I’m dead against, that’s been made by the president.
There’s huge market opportunity in the US, the critical mineral development out of WA can supply the US supply chain, and we can have assurances, because we’re a trusted partner, there is enormous opportunity. But the prime minister hasn’t spoken about any of that to President Trump …
Again, the Albanese has said that the government did negotiate with the Trump administration on critical minerals after the first set of tariffs on steel and aluminium were announced. (You can recap that here).
Dutton is asked point blank by another reporter if there is a “stick” that can be used against the US.
He doesn’t directly answer the question, he just says the US “value the relationship we have with them”.
Dutton claims Labor delaying North West Shelf gas decision
Peter Dutton is speaking to media again from Perth, and he’s pushing hard on mining (specifically that the Coalition heavily supports the mining industry).
Dutton has accused Labor of delaying a decision on the extension of the North West Shelf gas project in WA.
I think what it says to everybody in WA who is reliant on or connected with this sector, with this incredible mining sector, that you can’t trust Mr Albanese, and he certainly can’t trust a minority Labor-Greens government.
The first question to Dutton goes to whether a Coalition government would repeal the same job, same pay IR laws that the Labor government has put in.
Dutton goes straight to what he’s said previously, that he’ll deregister the construction union, the CFMEU, which is under administration.
The big difference on industrial relations policy at the next election between us and the Labor party will be that we’re going to deregister the CFMEU. The CFMEU would be a disaster for the Pilbara. The CFMEU would be a disaster across every mining site.
Wong dismisses Dutton over ‘captain obvious’ suggestions for tariff response
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, says the US administration’s tariffs are a “poor decision”.
Wong is asked on Sky News to respond to Peter Dutton’s suggestion that there is a pathway to resolving the issues if there’s a “will”.
Wong calls Dutton “captain obvious”, suggesting the government is doing everything he’s pointed out already, and called him “reckless”.
Peter Dutton seems to think he’s Superman, but he’s actually Captain Obvious. He suggests that this is a time for negotiation, well, that is what we have been doing. He suggests we should be discussing critical minerals, I’m sure he will recall it’s quite been quite public, that is, that is what we have been doing …
But really, what we saw from Mr Dutton today is more reckless arrogance. We saw him today talking down Australia.
Wong says, as she mentioned during her press conference with the prime minister, that this is a time for unity across politics, and warns Dutton to “stop his relentless carping”.
Josh Butler
Peter Dutton’s WA tour continues, arriving at a manufacturing business in the Perth electorate of Hasluck. He’s checking out a factory and warehouse which makes drilling equipment.
He’s already done his main press conference for the day, so we’re expecting him to do a tour as a photo opportunity, and then to make some remarks – launching the Coalition’s $600 million pledge on road infrastructure for mining and agriculture areas.
Hasluck is held by Labor on a 10% margin, so not necessarily at the top of the “at risk” column for Anthony Albanese – but Dutton needs to make some serious inroads in the west, so he’s shooting high with some ambitious visits.
Andrew Messenger
Queensland doesn’t look like it’ll adopt a gas reserve policy – instead trusting in rolling out more supply.
Mount Isa-based MP Robbie Katter asked if the LNP state government was considering following Peter Dutton’s lead in question time this morning.
“Without it, Phosphate Hill, Mount Isa mine and the town’s refinery are all at risk,” he said.
Minister for natural resources Dale Last didn’t answer that question, but he did make it clear he wants the industry in Queensland to expand.
We have ample gas reserves, ample gas supplies. And as I’ve been saying to my gas companies in this state – I’ll sign, you drill. And that’s a message that we’re taking out across Queensland to develop our gas reserves, to bring them online, because that is prosperity for Queensland, and that is jobs for Queensland.
Last cited the Australian market supply condition process and the Australian domestic gas security mechanism, which require more gas to be used locally.
He went on to say that “there’s no gas crisis in this state”.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
PM heads to Paterson
After landing in the NSW Hunter region, Anthony Albanese has made a beeline for the electorate of Paterson.
Labor backbencher Meryl Swanson holds the seat on a margin of 2.6% but faces a serious threat from the Liberals, who believe it is winnable in part because of community unrest over a proposed offshore wind zone in Port Stephens.
Albanese will visit Maitland hospital to spruik his promise to build a new Medicare urgent care clinic in the region to take pressure of the hospital’s emergency department.
Cait Kelly
Voting for Dutton is voting for higher taxes – Leigh
Finally, Leigh also argues that a vote for Peter Dutton is a vote for higher taxes (as the PM and Treasurer have also been pushing):
Peter Dutton has pledged to repeal Labor’s tax cuts – the very ones that deliver for the middle of the income distribution. If that happens, every Australian taxpayer will face a higher tax bill. These aren’t theoretical risks. They are practical, immediate consequences – and they fall hardest on the people who deserve relief the most.
It would be, quite literally, the first time in living memory that a federal opposition promised to raise taxes on everyone.
The reforms we’ve introduced aren’t ideological. They’re practical. Measured. Grounded in evidence. And, perhaps most importantly, designed not just for the world we model, but for the one Australians wake up in each day.
Fair tax policy isn’t just about getting the incentives right. It’s about getting the priorities right. And this reform puts the middle of the income distribution back at the centre of the conversation.
