TRANSCRIPT
This is SBS News in Easy English on the 28th of March, 2025. I'm Camille Bianchi.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the federal election will be held on May 3.
Mr Albanese told Governor-General Samantha Mostyn of his plan earlier this morning.
With five weeks of election campaign ahead, Labor and the Coalition are expected to have a close race.
There are more undecided voters this year than usual.
Mr Albanese says Australians have an important choice to make.
" This election is a choice between Labor's plan to keep building or Peter Dutton's promise to cut. It's the choice. It's your choice. Your job, your wages, your child's education, and importantly as well, this thing here, your Medicare card. They're all in your hands."
No political party in Australia has lost an election after just one term for nearly 100 years.
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Australians will not pay less tax if the Coalition Party wins the Federal Election.
Instead, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is focusing on cheaper electricity and petrol.
"Tonight, I commit a Dutton Coalition Government to the following. We will introduce four critical pieces of legislation on the first sitting day of the next Parliament. 1. The Energy Price Reduction Bill; 2. The Lower Immigration and More Homes for Australians Bill; 3. The Keeping Australians Safe Bill; and 4. The Guaranteed Funding for Health, Education and Essential Services Bill."
Mr Dutton also says his government would make big cuts to expensive projects and would remove 41 thousand jobs from the Federal Government in Canberra.
He also announced $400 million to pay for youth mental health services if the Coalition is elected.
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Heavy rainfall and flooding is expected for large areas of Queensland as the state continues to recover from Cyclone Alfred.
A severe weather warning has been given for parts of inland Queensland.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of flash and riverine flooding.
It has also issued severe thunderstorm warnings across northern parts of the state.
Senior Meteorologist Jonathan Howell says the warnings affects some areas that are already flooded.
"There is a lot of water still flowing into these inland catchments and this flooding is likely to continue for quite an extended period of time. We saw this flood water being very slow to move downstream closer to the coast though a major flood warning is current for the Pioneer River near Mackay and flood warnings. "
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American Vice President J-D Vance will visit Greenland tomorrow, at a time there is pressure for the American government to control the territory, which is owned by Denmark.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump again said the United States needs to control the island for national and international security.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says Denmark would like to work with the U-S on defence and security, but they will not give up control of the island.
"Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people and Greenland is part of the Danish Kingdom and that is not going to change. I think that many Greenlandic politicians gradually, both before the election campaign, during the election campaign and also now, are very clear that Greenland wants to be Greenland, and we fully support that from the Danish side."
According to surveys, almost all Greenlanders do not want to become part of the United States.
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Now in sport...
South Sydney Rabbitohs beat the Penrith Panthers with 28 to 18.
It's the first time since 2019 that the Penrith Panthers lost three straight games.
That's the latest SBS News in Easy English, I'm Camille Bianchi
