Paterson places voluntary redundancies again on the desk for public service cuts
Requested concerning the particulars of the Coalition’s plan to shrink the general public service by 41,000 employees over 5 years, James Paterson says there may very well be voluntary redundancies to satisfy the figures.
Earlier this week, the opposition chief backflipped on the general public service coverage, and the plan to drive public service employees to work from the workplace. Dutton had mentioned there could be no compelled redundancies.
Paterson tells RN Breakfast:
We are going to cap the dimensions of the Australian public service and scale back the numbers again to the degrees they have been three years in the past via pure attrition and voluntary redundancies … Our coverage is all the time based mostly on pure attrition and voluntary redundancies. That’s what our costings are based mostly on. That’s what we’ve sought recommendation from the PBO on, and that’s why we’ll obtain the financial savings as soon as it’s mature, of $7bn a 12 months.
Requested why the Coalition can’t say precisely which departments might be most affected by the cuts, Paterson then goes again to saying the cuts will come from pure attrition and a hiring freeze:
As a result of it’s a strategy of pure attrition and a hiring freeze, what meaning is that as folks depart the general public service, in the event that they’re not in a frontline service function, they gained’t get replaced, and so over time, these numbers will come down.
Key occasions
Onto questions, and Albanese is requested about Elon Musk being known as in to evaluation the US’ shipbuilding capability.
Albanese says he’s “confident” that Aukus will prevail, because it has vital assist throughout congress.
I’m assured about Aukus as a result of I’ve had these firsthand discussions with the President of the US, and likewise with greater than 100 members of Congress, within the Senate throughout my state go to to the US. I’m additionally assured that individuals, once they make an evaluation, know that that is in Australia’s nationwide curiosity, nevertheless it’s additionally within the nationwide curiosity of the US.
Requested concerning the tariffs, and whether or not the present caretaker mode will affect Australia’s capability to barter with the US within the brief time period, Albanese says:
That, after all, is an element. That’s only a actuality, nevertheless it doesn’t imply that we will’t proceed to have interaction, and we’re persevering with to have interaction with the US each day. I welcome the President’s feedback in a single day.
Katy Gallagher: As many as 500 NT public servants might lose jobs beneath Coalition
Labor says as much as 500 public service employees are in danger within the NT beneath the coalition.
Katy Gallagher is bringing the battle concerning the Coalition’s proposed public service job cuts to the press convention.
She says James Paterson’s feedback on RN Breakfast this morning that there may very well be voluntary redundancies means there might be “sackings”.
Right here in Darwin, they’re a pretty big workforce, properly over 2,000 public servants throughout the Northern Territory. And if Peter Dutton has his manner along with his 20% reduce to the general public service, that can imply round 500 jobs will go from the NT.
This morning on [the] radio, Senator Paterson has mentioned there might be redundancies within the public service. So this garbage that it’s all going to be discovered by attrition, has been put to mattress right this moment. It’s really redundancies, which suggests sacking of public servants.
She assaults the Coalition for not saying the place these jobs might be reduce.
Anthony Albanese is with finance and public service minister Katy Gallagher, aged care minister Anika Wells, and minister for Indigenous Australians and NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy.
No surprises right here that they’re talking at a medicare pressing care clinic (this time in Palmerston), spruiking Labor’s well being report and investments within the sector.
Albanese: charge of employees leaving aged care sector slowing dramatically
The prime minister is talking in Darwin this morning, with a $60m pledge for aged care beds.
This 12 months, wages for aged care employees additionally rose, with $2.6bn earmarked within the newest federal price range to pay for that.
Albanese says these modifications are enhancing the sector and serving to to retain workforce numbers.
What the royal fee discovered was that until we addressed these points, we merely wouldn’t have a workforce. People who find themselves leaving the workforce, who’re devoted professionals, devoted to caring for older Australians, giving them the respect and dignity that they want of their later years, however they merely couldn’t afford to remain in these jobs, and so they have been leaving the sector. What we’ve now’s the leaving charges are dropping dramatically.
Hearken to the Full Story to listen to how the Greens may work with a Labor minority authorities
The Greens performed a reasonably main function at instances throughout this time period, and will play an excellent greater function if Labor is compelled right into a minority authorities (as some polls have predicted).
We all know the occasion has been pushing vital environmental reforms, and advocating for including dental to medicare.
So how precisely would chief Adam Bandt work with Labor in a minority authorities?
Full Story’s Reged Ahmad and our political reporter Josh Butler spoke with Bandt (belief me, it’s definitely worth the pay attention):
Paterson places voluntary redundancies again on the desk for public service cuts
Requested concerning the particulars of the Coalition’s plan to shrink the general public service by 41,000 employees over 5 years, James Paterson says there may very well be voluntary redundancies to satisfy the figures.
Earlier this week, the opposition chief backflipped on the general public service coverage, and the plan to drive public service employees to work from the workplace. Dutton had mentioned there could be no compelled redundancies.
Paterson tells RN Breakfast:
We are going to cap the dimensions of the Australian public service and scale back the numbers again to the degrees they have been three years in the past via pure attrition and voluntary redundancies … Our coverage is all the time based mostly on pure attrition and voluntary redundancies. That’s what our costings are based mostly on. That’s what we’ve sought recommendation from the PBO on, and that’s why we’ll obtain the financial savings as soon as it’s mature, of $7bn a 12 months.
Requested why the Coalition can’t say precisely which departments might be most affected by the cuts, Paterson then goes again to saying the cuts will come from pure attrition and a hiring freeze:
As a result of it’s a strategy of pure attrition and a hiring freeze, what meaning is that as folks depart the general public service, in the event that they’re not in a frontline service function, they gained’t get replaced, and so over time, these numbers will come down.
James Paterson: Coalition would ‘seek advice’ about 2035 emissions goal
James Paterson, the Coalition’s marketing campaign spokesperson, joins RN Breakfast after the treasurer.
In a single day the opposition introduced it might scrap the penalties on the car effectivity requirements, and Sally Sara requested, why hassle conserving the requirements if there’s no penalty?
We strongly assist alternative for Australians relating to the automotive that they need to purchase that’s appropriate for them and their household. We expect the uptake of EV is an effective factor … there already are fairly highly effective incentives to purchase EV within the system, for instance, you don’t pay gasoline tax, which funds the street infrastructure that all of us share.
We don’t assist taxing individuals who need to select a automotive that’s appropriate for his or her household wants.
On emissions extra broadly, Sara asks whether or not the Coalition will decide to 2035 targets.
Yesterday, the Coalition’s vitality spokesperson, Ted O’Brien, left the door open to decreasing Australia’s 2030 goal, and probably leaving the Paris settlement.
Paterson, like O’Brien yesterday, says the Coalition would get recommendation:
We might search recommendation about the perfect achievable goal for 2035 and we stay completely dedicated to zero emissions by 2050 according to our Paris settlement obligations.
ASX to open sharply decrease amid worsening commerce conflict

Jonathan Barrett
Australian shares are poised to open sharply decrease this morning, as issues about Donald Trump’s unsettling coverage shifts and deteriorating commerce relations between the world’s two largest economies take maintain.
Futures costs are pointing to a 1.6% fall within the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 to 7,590 factors when it opens later this morning, after a sell-off on Wall Road in a single day.
Traders have needed to cope with wild swings this week triggered by modifications to the US tariff regime, with share costs pushed round by excessive bouts of reduction and worry.
Whereas some nations have loved a reprieve from their super-sized tariffs, Australia’s place, together with these of the UK and New Zealand, are unchanged given they continue to be topic to the US “baseline” 10% cost.
The White Home clarified in a single day that complete tariffs on China had been raised by 145% since Trump took workplace.
The Reserve Financial institution of Australia governor, Michele Bullock, mentioned final night time that an unsure and rocky path lay forward, saying “financial market and economic volatility can be expected as this process unfolds”.
The Australian greenback has recovered vital floor in latest days, rising to US62.2c this morning, after threatening to plunge under the 59c barrier earlier this week.
Chalmers welcomes RBA’s reassuring tone about rates of interest
Final night time, Reserve Financial institution governor Michele Bullock mentioned it was “too early” to guage how Trump’s commerce conflict will have an effect on rates of interest.
Whereas commentators and markets are forecasting a bigger reduce of as much as 50 foundation factors in Might, Bullock hosed these forecasts down.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers in his interview on ABC RN Breakfast mentioned Bullock’s reassuring tone was “welcome” and “warranted”.
You possibly can learn all the small print of that speech (and what it means) right here:
Australia speaking to allies and commerce companions about US tariffs
Chalmers might be talking right this moment along with his Korean counterpart, as the federal government talks to allies and commerce companions reeling from Trump’s tariffs.
However with the election looming and the parliament now in caretaker mode, Chalmers says there are limits to the selections that may be made or discussions had.
I spoke with my UK counterpart. I’ll be participating with our posts within the area … we’re nonetheless conferring, we’re nonetheless evaluating notes, we’re nonetheless coordinating our efforts.
The Australia EU commerce deal has the capability to advance our pursuits … however I believe that’s a very good instance of the progress that we’d have the ability to make.
Chalmers says he’s unsure if shadow commerce minister Kevin Hogan has been stored within the loop on these discussions, together with the dialogue between commerce minister Don Farrell and his EU counterpart earlier this week.
And what about China’s supply to “join hands” yesterday?
I believe we’ve bought our personal manner of participating within the area, our personal language to explain our efforts. And I believe the Chinese language export marketplace for Australia is extremely essential … our pursuits are greatest served by extra various, extra dependable, extra sturdy markets, and the large economies in our area have gotten an enormous function to play there.
Chalmers: It’s been a wild journey this week
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says there’s extra volatility and unpredictability within the international financial system, however he believes Australia nonetheless stands in “quite good stead”.
Final night time, Reserve Financial institution governor Michele Bullock gave a speech, and Chalmers tells RN Breakfast she made some extent of speaking concerning the “robustness” of Australia’s system, which is able to assist climate any financial storm.
It’s been a wild journey this week on international share markets … I believe the markets are actually not simply reacting to particular bulletins out of Washington DC or the retaliatory measures, however this actual sense of volatility and unpredictability, which isn’t good for markets. However the excellent news for Australia, I believe is that the [Reserve Bank] governor was making some extent final night time concerning the robustness of our methods.
Host Sally Sara says the final time he was on the present, Chalmers mentioned the financial system was conserving him up at night time; this time he’s revealed he’s nonetheless not getting a lot sleep, and has been waking up in the midst of the night time to learn the Wall St Journal.
Labor forward of the Coalition for the election because of Dutton’s WFH coverage, polling reveals
Voters proceed to desert Peter Dutton with the newest polling displaying the Coalition has gone from being “in the box seat” to win the election to the prospect of shedding seats on 3 Might, AAP reviews.
Newest YouGov polling, launched to AAP, reveals Labor has gained floor to forge forward 52.5% to 47.5% over the coalition within the two-party most popular vote.
The result’s the perfect for Labor in months and barely larger than its polling of 52.1% on the 2022 election.
The coalition’s major vote is now all the way down to 33.5% – decrease than on the 2022 election.
Falling assist for the opposition chief has been mirrored in different latest polling as Labor and Anthony Albanese proceed to construct momentum because the election attracts close to.
Dutton’s work-from-home coverage had sparked the autumn and brought his occasion from “being in the box seat to win the federal election in February to struggling to hold on to the seats they won in 2022,” YouGov director of public knowledge Paul Smith mentioned.
The Coalition’s assist has fallen to this point that they now threat shedding seats.
Peter Dutton’s work-from-home blunder has taken him from a successful place to a shedding one in a dramatic manner we hardly ever see.
File enrolment for the Australian election
The Australian electoral fee (AEC) says 98.2% of eligible Australians have enrolled to vote for the election.
Since 2022, the function has elevated by 5%, or 870,000 folks, with the youth enrolment charge now 92%.
The AEC says 30% of latest enrolments are migrants, however most are younger individuals who have turned 18 and may vote for the primary time.
AEC commissioner Jeff Pope mentioned:
That is the third election in a row at which we’ve set a report for Australia’s nationwide enrolment charge.
File enrolment like this doesn’t occur by chance. It represents an enormous quantity of labor on the a part of the AEC to have interaction with voters and scale back obstacles for enrolment.
We’re notably targeted on Australia’s youth enrolment charges.
Below 35s now make up 25.9% of enrolments, whereas over 65s make up 24.9% of enrolments, based on the AEC.
Aged care minister Anika Wells proclaims $60m for brand spanking new aged care beds, defends sector reform
Labor is that this morning asserting $60m for as much as 120 new aged care beds within the Northern Territory.
Aged care minister Anika Wells has informed ABC Information Breakfast the federal government has delivered the “biggest reforms” to the sector in 30 years.
Wells acknowledges stakeholders are “worried” about delivering the reforms, which is why the federal government has established a transition taskforce.
We needed to cram 5, 10 years’ price of reform into two years as a result of this has been left so lengthy and time’s up. Individuals are ready for beds right this moment. We now have to construct these new beds and we’ve to repair the system so we’re all appearing urgently.
New line alert!
Wells can also be requested concerning the Coalition’s choice to scrap penalties for carmakers beneath the car effectivity requirements. She says:
The Coalition have had extra backflips than Simone Biles within the vitality area. It’s onerous to maintain up, to be sincere.
For anybody who doesn’t know, dwelling legend Simone Biles is a US gymnast and you need to instantly Google her!

Daisy Dumas
Pauline Hanson backs Peter Dutton, says he has the ‘qualifications’ to be PM
Pauline Hanson claims that her “common sense” insurance policies have been picked up by each Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton – however that it’s the chief of the opposition who’ll have her assist come 3 Might.
Showing on the ABC’s 7:30, the One Nation senator mentioned on Thursday night that she thought Dutton had “the qualifications to actually become the prime minister of this country”.
I put my assist behind him.
Talking concerning the Coalition’s gasoline excise reduce, nuclear vitality plans and refusal of Indigenous flags – in addition to Labor’s clamp down on the overseas possession of houses, she mentioned:
I believe it’s fantastic that they’re each choosing up my insurance policies, commonsense insurance policies.
She mentioned “change was needed”.
This Albanese authorities hasn’t tried to work with me. I don’t get conferences, I’m not conscious of what laws is developing. I believe they’re conceited, I believe they’re impolite, incompetent and haven’t completed the perfect factor.
Didn’t the prime minister say we’re going to be open and sincere and consultative? They’ve been something however. I believe change is required.

Sarah Basford Canales
Dutton says Coalition would repeal car gasoline effectivity requirements
The Coalition has pledged to repeal Labor’s gasoline effectivity requirements geared toward curbing the sale of high-polluting automobiles.
In an announcement in a single day, Peter Dutton mentioned he would scrap the requirements resulting from come into impact from July, describing them as “unfair penalties on carmakers and consumers”.
The gasoline customary locations a cap on the emissions from new automobiles to encourage carmakers to produce low- and zero-emissions autos as a part of their fleet. The cap might be lowered over time.
Till it handed into regulation in Might final 12 months, Australia remained one of many few nations on this planet, alongside Russia and Saudi Arabia, to not have a nationwide gasoline customary.
The opposition has lengthy fought towards the usual, claiming it might drive up the price of utes – a well-liked alternative for tradespeople.
Dutton mentioned:
We would like cleaner, cheaper automobiles on Australian roads as we head in direction of internet zero by 2050, however forcing unfair penalties on carmakers and shoppers isn’t the reply.
The Coalition’s opposition to the usual represents one other promise to wind again legal guidelines geared toward decreasing Australia’s emissions output. The Coalition has but to announce an emission discount coverage.
Good morning

Krishani Dhanji
Krishani Dhanji right here with you, and Thank God It’s Friday.
We’re now on the finish of week two of the marketing campaign, which suggests simply three weeks to go, so dangle in there!
Peter Dutton’s fuelling up with extra petrol guarantees, this time confirming the Coalition would scrap penalties for high-polluting automobiles beneath the present car effectivity requirements launched by the Albanese authorities.
We even have new analysis displaying lots of of jobs at an company scrutinising mistreatment within the aged care sector may very well be misplaced beneath the Coalition’s plans to drastically scale back the general public sector, based on the Neighborhood and Public Sector Union.
And as has been the flavour for the previous week, there’s persevering with fallout and response to Donald Trump’s tariffs, and we’ll carry you all of that because it comes.