Cool, but does Jane Hume think that Welcome to Country ceremonies are ‘overdone’.

Hume:

I have been to events where the Welcome to Country ceremony has been beautiful and extremely moving and they are very important at official ceremonies.

However, I think we have all been at meetings where you sit around a table with a dozen people and each person has to do an Acknowledgment to Country before the meeting begins. When it comes performative, I think it loses its meaning. But a Welcome to Country ceremony at an appropriate event is entirely appropriate and extremely respectful.

Welcome to Country’s and Acknowledgement of Country are too separate things. A Welcome to Country is where you are being welcomed to the land by someone from that country, who tells you about the significance of the country you are on and why it is so important to care for country and those who dwell on it. An Acknowledgement of Country can be done by anyone and acknowledges the country you are on, as well as any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the room.

The only meetings I have been in where there are multiple Acknowledgements of Country are zoom meetings where people are in different places.

It is Jane Hume who has been sent out early for the Coalition campaign (remember when this was James Paterson’s job?) Does she think that Welcome to Country ceremonies are going to be used as a political football after her leader said he thought they were “overdone”?

Hume:

I think the real issue that Australians are talking about is the cost of living and their standard of living has gone backwards so far in the last three years. Backwards by about 8%. So it’s not as if you’re – all in your head, you know, you’re not just feeling poorer, you, in fact, are poorer. That’s what’s playing out at the polling booths that I have been going to in the last week. People know that they need cost-of-living relief right now.

That’s why we have offered 25% – sorry, 25 cent cut in fuel excise for the next 12 months, that will kick in immediately if a Dutton Coalition Government is elected. At the end of that 12 months, there’ll be $1200 back for around 85% of workers. We get the budget under control, sustain inflation at a lower rate and then, of course, make sure we bring down the cost of energy. That’s how you manage an economy effectively. Manage it so that a cost of living is not an ongoing issue. It shouldn’t be part of a feature offer Government as it has been under Anthony Albanese.

In the fourth and (thank God) final leaders’ debate last night, Albanese and Dutton both made surprising slip-ups that tell us something about which Australians they think really matter at this election.

Dutton’s clangers (on housing, Indigenous affairs and so on) were all pretty familiar. But Albanese has gotten away with one doozy a few too many times.

Albanese, not for the first time, said that his government would ensure that all 14 million Australians get a tax cut.

That’s nice. Except, there are actually 27 million Australians. So how does the PM forget 13 million Australians?

Answer: he means taxpayers. The government says there are around 14 million income taxpayers in Australia. The PM conflated “taxpayers” with “Australians”.

This wouldn’t matter so much, except he has made this error in nearly all of the TV debates during this election. It’s an almost Freudian slip, giving the impression that only those who earn above the tax-free threshold really count in our economy and society.

Citizenship is about more than just the economy and taxes. When we start defining citizenship in these ways, we immediately begin to discount other citizens – pensioners, people receiving income support, young people, students and plenty more – as less than full citizens.

The PM shouldn’t forget about the other 13 million Australians. Especially when he needs more than a handful of them to vote for him on 3 May.

The AEC says that 2.4m people have already applied for a postal vote, with more expected before postal voting applications close on Wednesday.

(Get a wriggle on if you need a postal vote)

About 2.3m people have already visited a pre-polling booth, which is 25% up from this time last election.

People want to switch off and we can not blame them.

The Greens have announced they plan on “circumvent[ing] the coal-approving Environment Minister in minority Parliament negotiations and demand the Climate Minister exercise as yet unused powers to stop new coal and gas mines”.

From the release:

The Greens will announce their climate demand for minority government negotiations in the electorate of the Environment Minister, who has approved many of the over 30 new coal and gas projects backed by the Labor government since coming to power.

Bandt said:

In the middle of a climate crisis, Tanya Plibersek has approved new coal mines that will release 2.5 billion tonnes of climate pollution. If the Environment Minister won’t act, the Greens will get the Climate Minister to do it

The Greens will keep Dutton out and get Labor to stop approving new coal and gas mines, because you can’t put the fire out while pouring petrol on it.

Australia is being hit with fires and floods, but Labor has approved over 30 new coal and gas projects and Peter Dutton wants even more. They talk up renewables but open up coal and gas. Labor are climate charlatans and the Liberals climate criminals. 

If you’re worried about climate change, you can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result. 

If you want climate action, you have to vote for it, because it’s clear Labor won’t act on climate unless pushed. 

The Greens gave the Climate Minister the power to stop new coal and gas mines with the stroke of a pen, and with more Greens in minority Parliament we’ll get him to use it.”

New Australia Institute research shows coal exports have reached record highs and new coal and gas projects continue to be approved. 

Australia exported more thermal coal in the last quarter of 2024 than it ever has before.  (See chart below)

Just last week, Santos’ Barossa gas project was approved, despite it being the most emissions-intensive gas export project in Australia and possibly the world.  

Meanwhile, the Minister is yet to make a decision on Woodside’s proposed North West Shelf gas expansion, which would have devastating consequences for the environment and the Murujuga Rock Art. 

“This record expansion of fossil fuels has been facilitated by an ALP government that was elected to take action on climate change – not accelerate it,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute. 

“Australia needs fewer coal and gas mines, not more.  

“Today’s proposal from the Greens to prevent new fossil fuel projects demonstrates how the next Parliament could act immediately. 

“No new laws are needed. The Minister has the power to stop new fossil fuel projects right now.”

Australia Institute research shows coal and gas emissions are still rising, wiping out progress from renewables. Any further approvals will lock in climate damage for decades.

Source: Department of Industry, Resources and Energy Quarterly, March 2025

The NRL’s Magic Round is at the end of this week, which will also cover the election date.

The AEC wants you to “vote before you go”.

For a full list of early voting locations available across the country, visit aec.gov.au or search the where to vote tool.

For the record, here is that exchange from last night:

Albanese: You wanted to abolish bulk billing altogether by having a charge –
 
Dutton: I wanted to make primary care sustainable.
 
Albanese: – By having a charge every time people visit the doctor, would have been no bulk billing.
 
Dutton: No but your charge now is $43
 
Albanese: That was what you did.
 
Dutton: Your charge is $43.
 
Albanese: That’s what you did. We’re repairing your mess.

What does Jason Clare expect from the election?

This is going to be a razor thin election result. It will be very tight. Most Federal elections are and every single vote will count but I think the more people see Peter Dutton, the less they like and one of the big issues that will be on peoples’ minds as they go to vote, whether it is today or on Saturday is whether they want a bigger investment in Medicare to make it easier to see a doctor for free.

One of the things that was revealed last night was Peter Dutton defending his decision to try and put a tax on you every time you go to the doctor. He argued that was necessary for him to do. The mask was taken off last night, Peter Dutton revealing he doesn’t believe people should be able to see the doctor for free

Hilariously, the Coalition, which has matched Labor’s spending on big ticket items and has $21bn for defence over five years, and its own promises of short term tax breaks and fuel excise cuts, has accused Labor of a “spendathon” this election.

Every accusation is a confession, I suppose.

Clare says:

We will release our costings shortly which I think will put the lie to what the Liberals are saying on that. What Australia needs, what we are focused on is making sure we provide the support that Australians need right now with the challenges with cost of living. That is why we have delivered tax cuts, made child care cheaper and medicine cheaper, helping Australians where they need it most. The Liberals voted against that or opposed that. Develop a plan for the long term also. That is what free TAFE is about, that is what making going to the doctor free is all about, that is what cutting HECS debt by 20% is all about. We have a plan for the future. The Liberal Party has a plan that lasts five minutes. As the Prime Minister outlined last night, most of their changes, most of what they are offering only lasts 12 months or less. It is why Peter Dutton doesn’t have a positive plan for the future of Australia.