TRANSCRIPT
On day 12 of the federal election campaign, trade tensions have again dominated Australia's political debate, amid concerns about how tit-for-tat tariffs will affect the economy.
China's ambassador offered to "join hands" with Australia to defend multilateral free trade as Beijing faces 125 per cent tariffs, despite Donald Trump reducing tariffs for others.
Both major parties distanced themselves from this idea.
Here's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
"I don't think we'll be holding China's hand."
In that interview with Nine's Today show, Mr Marles emphasised Australia's focus on diversifying trade.
The government is seeking to stay out of the crosshairs of a trade war between Australia's closest security ally and its most important trading partner
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton used China's intervention to try and tie Labor to the Greens, suggesting the Prime Minister is "having his strings pulled" by that party's leader.
"I believe that we can work very closely with China on building our trading relationship and have a respectful relationship with China, but we as a country have to stand up for our interests, and we can't do that with a weak Prime Minister. "
Anthony Albanese says his government will stand up for Australia's interests, and stand on its own feet, while also claiming credit for stronger trade ties with China.
"Well, our trade relationship with China is an important one. Trade represents one in four Australian jobs, and China is by a long distance our major trading partner. We of course restored in excess of $20 billion of trade, exports to China, where there were impediments."
He was at Queensland's Green Island to visit the Great Barrier Reef, announcing $10 million towards education and awareness for the World Heritage wonder.
The majority of that funding would go towards subsidising school visits.
“This reef program that we're announcing today will provide six million dollars for Kids For the Reef, for young people who wouldn't get the opportunity otherwise, to see the reef first hand."
With the reef under sustained pressure from climate change, the PM was again asked about Labor's failure to pass its Nature Positive laws.
He says Labor will consult with groups representing industry and the environment to make sure a second-term government gets the change right.
After wrapping up his fourth campaign stop in Queensland, Mr Albanese is heading to Darwin to visit Solomon, a safe Labor seat.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, meanwhile, was campaigning in the outer suburbs of Melbourne.
"It's great to be back here"
It's his third campaign stop to Victoria, a state seen as important to his path to power.
Mr Dutton was keen to spruik the Coalition's promise cut net migration by 100,000, confirming the cuts to net overseas migration would last for two years before picking up.
He batted off criticism from big business groups which say the policy could harm the economy, arguing migration has worsened the housing crisis.
"The prime minister's brought in a million people over two years, which is a 70 per cent increase, 70 per cent higher than any two year period in our country's history. The government will bring in about two million people over five years, a population bigger than Adelaide, and they've taken money out of infrastructure. So of course there's going to be a housing crisis, when you put Labor in charge and that's what they do. So our plan is to cut migration, and we've been very clear and upfront about it because I want to get Aussies into homes."
Peter Dutton also faced questions about the quality of Liberal Party candidates.
Nine newspapers reported today that the candidate for Wills, Jeffrey Kidney, pleaded guilty last year to obtaining financial advantage and deception.
He was made to repay more than $10,000 in fines and compensation; however, a criminal conviction was not recorded in his name.
SBS reached out to Jeffrey Kidney for a response.
The revelation follows bad press about candidates in Kooyong, Leichardt and Whitlam - a New South Wales seat where the candidate was last week disendorsed.
Candidate nominations are now closed, and the opposition leader was questioned about his party’s vetting process.
REPORTER: "Are you happy to have a candidate who has pled guilty to obtaining advantage by deception?"
DUTTON: "Well, I think Anthony Albanese has been out deceiving the Australian people every day of the last three years. I mean, to your point, he hasn't been convicted by a court, but maybe he will, because if he keeps going like this, you can't trust this prime minister with anything that he says."
Mr Dutton confirmed he briefly left the campaign trail on Wednesday night, visiting his father in hospital after what's understood to have been a heart attack shortly before Tuesday's debate.
The Coalition campaign is expected to be in West Australia tomorrow - home to more target seats - as he's listed for a keynote breakfast address in Perth tomorrow.
