TRANSCRIPT:
- The PM condemns an assault outside a prepoll booth in his Sydney electorate;
- The major parties expand on their domestic violence packages as campaigning continues;
- Reports that a deal's been struck for an NRL team in Perth.
A teenager has been charged with assault after allegedly punching an elderly man wearing a Make America Great Again hat at a prepolling booth in the prime minister's electorate.
The 79 year old is reportedly in hospital in a serious but stable condition after the 17 year old allegedly hit him in the inner western Sydney suburb of Ashfield.
In a separate incident, a 30 year old man has been charged with intimidation after allegedly behaving aggressively towards a number of volunteers at Macquarie Park, in Sydney's northwest.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the alleged attacks.
"There's no place for violence in our political system. We're a democracy. It's important that people engage in a respectful way. That includes people who are candidates but it includes everyone."
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The major parties have expanded on their domestic and family violence packages as campaigning continues, amid concern from advocates that the issue has been given minimal attention so far.
The Coalition has announced a $90 million package that includes increased police powers to access and share information, as well as behavioural interventions aimed at men, which Opposition leader Peter Dutton says are part of the solution.
"Australian men have to be the best role models that they can be. And we have provide an example to our children, particularly our sons. We need to make sure that we don't walk past examples of violence either in the workplace or family settings or anywhere in the community."
Meanwhile Labor's new commitments are focussed on ending financial abuse and violence.
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher says a re-elected Labor government would crack down on perpetrators weaponising financial systems to abuse their victims further, often by saddling them with debts.
"The use of technology is changing the way that violence is perpetrated, not only on surveillance devices but also in the way that financial institutions and financial mechanisms are being used to weaponise and perpetuate violence. So this is all work that we have underway."
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Labor will spend $1.2 billion to set up a national stockpile of critical minerals if it wins the election, amid trade disputes with US President Donald Trump.
Australia has some of the world's largest critical mineral deposits which are used for products like batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy technology.
Anthony Albanese says the reserve of 31 minerals would be a critical asset to advance the national interest amid growing global uncertainty.
"There's no country you'd rather be than Australia, but we need to learn the lesson of the pandemic, build economic resilience to serve our national interest, and that's what we intend to do."
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New South Wales authorities say there is little chance of recovering millions of dollars acquired by corrupt former MP Eddie Obeid.
Crime Commissioner Michael Barnes says a second investigation into the viability of recovering what remains of the $30 million has concluded asset confiscation proceedings are unviable.
81 year old Eddie, his son Moses and former mining minister Ian MacDonald were all jailed four years ago over the granting of a coal exploration licence at the Obeid family farm at Bylong, in the state's Hunter Valley.
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Ex-state Liberal leader David Speirs has been ordered to pay a $9000 fine and do community service for supplying cocaine while he was an MP.
Speirs had pleaded guilty in March to two charges of supplying a controlled substance to two men in the Adelaide beachside suburb of Brighton.
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St. Peter’s Basilica has remained open past midnight in Rome to allow thousands of followers to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis.
The Pope is currently lying in state at the basilica ahead of his weekend funeral, to give the public a chance to grieve the 88 year old pontiff.
Emiliano Fernandez from Mexico says many people wait for hours for their chance to see him.
"I have been here for two hours now already and we are not even in there yet. But I think, I don’t even care how many time I wait here. It’s just the opportunity to have this and how I admired Francisco in his life... So I think because of the respect that I have for him and the great person he was, it’s worth the wait."
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The NRL could expand into Perth after the Australian Rugby League Commission reportedly agreed in principle to a revised proposal from the Western Australia government for a team.
The offer from WA Premier Roger Cook means there is hope for a side to be known as the Perth Bears to enter the competition in 2027 - which would resurrect, through an affiliation, foundation Sydney club the North Sydney Bears.
But the Premier says nothing is yet definitively decided.
"We continue to have those negotiations. We haven't had a formal response from the NRL. I assume they have a range of processes they need to go through to consider anything in relation to these conversations. I will say those discussions are positive, and we continue to look forward to those discussions continuing."
