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Opposition Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor has announced the Coalition will establish a new statutory body in the Treasury aimed at fast-tracking private sector investment if elected.
He says the proposed office will be led by a chair and deputy chair with strong private sector and public administration experience and will cut through government red tape.
"We'll establish a statutory office within treasury called 'Investment Australia'. It will consolidate and streamline investment facilitation across government under a united function with clear leadership, that reports directly to the Treasurer and to cabinet. It's about fast tracking investment, not holding it back with bureaucracy. It's legislated powers will include calling powers to hold agencies to account for bureaucratic delays on significant projects for our nation, implementing pathways for escalation to cabinet."
Mr Taylor has promised to announce a chair for the office as part of a financial services bill within 100 days of the announcement.
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The Victorian state parliament has approved new anti-vilification laws the government says will protect more people from hate speech or harmful conduct.
The new laws extend anti-vilification protections to people with disability, gender and sexual identity, as well as those who have a personal association with someone who has a protected attribute.
Advocates like the Human Rights Law Centre had raised concerns that the laws could be misused to target political speech and the voices of marginalised groups which the laws were designed to protect.
But Premier Jacinta Allan says these concerns have been addressed in the legislation, and the finished product as helps to promote the kind of society Victoria wants to be.
"A place you are free from hate. A place where no matter who you love, whoever you pray to, however you identify, you'll be free from hate on our streets. And if there is any hint of that then police have the powers - and there are strengthened powers to crack down on hate as a crime."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Labor Party can win the key Tasmanian seat of Braddon- despite the Liberal Party holding it by a margin of eight per cent.
Mr Albanese is today in Tasmania for the first time in this election campaign, campaigning in Burnie in the state's north-west.
An eight per cent margin is considered fairly safe.
But Mr Albanese says that can be overhauled, due to Labor running a strong local candidate, Anne Urquhart.
"If you look at the pendulum, it's not the first seat that will fall to Labor that's held by the Coalition by eight per cent. But I've been with Anne right throughout this entire community and everywhere I have been Anne Urquhart is known by people, is respected by people and has fought for people."
67-year-old Ms Urquhart has been a Senator for Tasmania since 2011, and is now trying to switch to the lower house.
Liberal M-P Gavin Pearce has held Braddon since he defeated Labor's Justine Keay at the 2019 election.
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Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has accused Peter Dutton of misunderstanding the value of the federal education department, after the Opposition leader raised the possibility of sweeping job cuts.
The Opposition Leader has said the Coalition would not cut overall school funding from current levels if elected, but argues cuts to parts of the federal education department are possible.
Mr Dutton says he is considering making school funding conditional upon whether states pledge to get rid of what he calls a "woke" agenda that he believes has affected schooling.
But Mr Clare says Mr Dutton doesn't understand what he would be cutting.
"He was saying this morning he could cut thousands and thousands of people from the Department of Education. There are 1,700 people at the Department of Education so less than 2000. So first, he needs to get his facts straight. Second, he needs to learn a little more about what they do. The Department of Education's responsible for compliance of child care centres to make sure that taxpayers don't get ripped off. The Department of Education is also responsible for making sure that we fund our schools properly and it's also responsible for making sure we regulate our universities properly."
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The Greens have proposed a new national regulator to address reported failings and abuse within Australia's childcare sector.
The announcement comes after an A-B-C investigation revealed one in 10 childcare centres in Australia has never been rated by regulators and many others don't meet basic standards.
Greens leader Adam Bandt says its time that the government crack down on the largely for-profit sector.
"A full national regulator that would have the power to shut down centres that aren't keeping our kids safe and aren't meeting the basic minimum standards. Because enough of these cowboys making massive profits off the back of our children while there are reports of abuse and the sector goes unregulated. We need to start doing what is in the children's best interest, not what helps corporations make a profit."
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Star Entertainment has failed to secure a $940 million lifeline to cover its eye-watering debts, throwing the future of the casino operator into question.
Star Entertainment had previously confirmed it was in discussions with Salter Brothers Capital for financing, but the company has now announced the proposal has been withdrawn.
The withdrawal of Salter Brothers leaves 9,000 jobs in question but the casino operator says it is trying to find an alternative solution.
It is the latest blow to the Star, which has faced fines and licence cancellations since 2022 when an inquiry found damning evidence of money laundering and counter-terrorism failings at the groups' Sydney casino.
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A doctor's group says Australia is likely to experience record numbers of flu cases this year, because of a sharp fall in influenza vaccination rates.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) says there have already been almost 47,000 lab-confirmed cases of influenza this year, a rate that is 50 percent higher than in 2024 amid lower immunisations than from previous years.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright says that case figure likely only scratches the surface of the true number of infections.
He says a potential surge of flu cases over the winter months is likely to place tremendous strain on Australia’s health system - and that the illness must be taken seriously.
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In rugby league,
Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses will have just three games with the struggling side to show he should retain his spot in the New South Wales State of Origin team.
Parramatta has revealed Moses will likely return to their lineup for their round nine match against Cronulla in Brisbane, to be played on the first weekend of May.
Moses has missed the start of the season with an injury to his left foot.
Parramatta has lost their first four games of the season.
Moses played in last year's winning New South Wales State of Origin team.
But his spot is at risk this year, with Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary, who was injured for State of Origin last year, now healthy again.
