Day 30 cont ️

“A separatist #ChristianSect which tells its members to hate the world and which objects to voting is campaigning for the #Liberal and #Nationals parties ahead of Saturday’s federal election. The #PlymouthBrethrenChristianChurch, formerly known as the #ExclusiveBrethren, has dispatched hundreds of its members to pre-polling booths in #MarginalSeats while instructing them to keep secret that they are members of the controversial #religion.

Workers in five marginal seats in Victoria and NSW told this masthead they had encountered 20 or more Brethren members wearing #Liberal or #National campaign T-shirts handing out how-to-vote cards, some of whom identified themselves as members of the sect. The seats – #Kooyong, #Gorton, #Hawke, #Gilmore and #Calare – are held by #Labor or #independents.

The accounts were backed by #LaborParty campaign sources, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to speak publicly, who claimed the Brethren members were active in seats in #NSW, #Victoria, #Queensland and #Tasmania, including #Bennelong, #Parramatta, #Whitlam, #Macquarie, #Paterson, #Lyons, #Reid and #Blair.”

#AusPol / #extremism / #RightWing / #LNP / #Coalition / #voting <https://archive.md/osEeV> / <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/exclusive-brethren-don-t-vote-but-are-secretly-campaigning-for-the-coalition-20250428-p5luny.html> (paywall).

Day 29

“Prime Minister #AnthonyAlbanese has had a colourful visit to a polling booth in the southern #Sydney seat of #Banks, held by the #Liberals.

There was representation from across the political spectrum as volunteers handed out flyers to punters arriving to cast early votes — there was an on-the-ground presence from the Liberals, #Labor, #Greens, #MuslimVotesMatter, #independents, Fatima Payman’s Australia’s #VoiceParty and the #Libertarians.

Australia’s Voice senate candidate #EmanieDarwiche heckling Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Unsurprisingly, then, the reception that Albanese received was mixed. He was loudly heckled by Payman’s NSW Senate candidate, Emanie Darwiche, who cried: “Anthony Albanese, you are committing genocide.”

Another man in a van driving past yelled out: “You’re the reason we’re broke, bro.” The third heckler was in higher spirits. “Hey Albo,” they shouted from their car window, before using an expletive to give the prime minister a very #Australian compliment.”

#AusPol / #Coalition / #Nationals <https://archive.md/o1wRx> / <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/federal-election-2025-live-updates-anthony-albanese-v-peter-dutton-leaders-debate-reaction-20250427-p5lul8.html?post=p58kgp#p58kgp> (paywall)

Day 29

“It’s the election billed as the battle between #Boomers and #Zoomers. By most estimates, it’s the first time #GenZ s and #Millennials outnumber their parents and grandparents as a voting bloc.

The parties have attempted to tailor their #SocialMedia pitches accordingly on issues that disproportionately affect #YoungPeople: the cost of living, HECS debts and housing. A tide of social media #memes, AI ads and several diss tracks have been met with varying levels of enthusiasm from their target audience.”

#AusPol / #Policies / #LNP / #Liberal / #Labor / #Greens / #Coalition / #Independents <https://archive.md/kx6gL> / <https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/not-so-pitch-perfect-young-voice-concerns-and-it-s-not-just-the-cost-of-living-20250421-p5lt4n.html> (paywall)

Day 26 cont ️

“Nationals leader #DavidLittleproud says one of his “proudest” moments of his #leadership has been to oppose #TheVoice to # parliament.

Speaking to the #NationalPressClub, Littleproud says it wasn’t a decision that was made quickly by his party room.

Within our party room, in a #respectful way we undertook a #committee within our party room to listen [to the] yes and no case, to understand what the machinery would look like, what it would mean for us who represent some of the most #disadvantaged #Indigenous #Australians in remote areas.
Littleproud says the voice would have repeated “mistakes of the past” and was not the way to empower local communities.”

A reminder Littleproud has no tertiary #education, a rarity in leadership teams in #Labor, #LNP, #Greens and #Independents.

#AusPol / #racism <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/apr/24/australia-election-2025-live-labor-coalition-teal-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-policy-cost-of-living-voting-spender-pamphletntwnfb?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-6809ab7d8f08e65b05d1de6e#block-6809ab7d8f08e65b05d1de6e>

Day 26 cont

“The top reasons #voters are hesitant on #Albanese or #Dutton – and it’s worse in #MarginalSeats: An exclusive survey for this masthead, conducted by research firm #ResolveStrategic, reveals the top concerns voters have when considering either of the #MajorParties on May 3.”

#AusPol / #Labor / #LNP / #Liberals / #National / #greens / #Independents <https://archive.md/rNBDk> / <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-top-reasons-voters-are-hesitant-on-albanese-or-dutton-and-it-s-worse-in-marginal-seats-20250418-p5lst0.html> (paywall)

Day 22 cont

“#CostOfLiving is the most important issue for Vote Compass respondents regardless of age, education, birth, sex, and voting intention, but particularly among those under 40”

“Keeping day-to-day living #costs down was the most important issue for electors identified by respondents of a Roy Morgan survey of 14,713 voters in the September quarter of 2024 who were asked to identify their top three issues”

“The second-most important issue for respondents differs by voting intention, with Liberal-Coalition voters concerned with #immigration and the #economy and Labor voters concerned with #ClimateChange.”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals / #Greens / #Labor / #independents <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-20/federal-election-2025-most-important-issue-vote-compass/105178788>

Day 22 cont

“Traditionally, #Queensland candidates, whether federal or state, promise to take the fight to #Canberra. They project themselves as defiantly parochial, unashamedly maroon, with a vested interest in the north. More recently, however, #power has shifted from the #regions to the #urban south-east, which is more likely to welcome new #arrivals from other states than Queensland country towns. Amid all this growth, the lines of #responsibility have blurred between federal, state and even local government. Rather than fighting Canberra, the parties – including the Greens, who thrive on street-level combat – have taken to #fighting each other.

At the last election, the #Greens picked up three seats in Greater #Brisbane, riding the winds of change. The #TealMovement was unsuccessful in its first federal foray into Queensland, in the seat of Groom, although Suzie Holt enjoyed a healthy flow of preferences and is running again.

For now, the closest thing Queensland has to #independents are Bob Katter and Gerard Rennick, but the south-east is becoming used to newcomers.”

#AusPol / #Liberal / #LNP / #Nationals / #planning / #GrowthCorridor / #facilities / #transport / #basics <https://archive.md/7GbkF> / <https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/nowhere-is-growing-like-this-corner-of-queensland-it-s-changing-the-political-game-20250415-p5lrzn.html> (paywall)