FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN: DAY 12
WHERE THE LEADERS ARE:
* Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Melbourne
* Labor leader Bill Shorten: Townsville
WHAT THE COALITION WANTS TO TALK ABOUT
Scott Morrison has returned to Victoria, a key battleground state with the coalition facing a tough fight to retain a handful of seats.
WHAT LABOR WANTS TO TALK ABOUT:
Tourism in north Queensland and scrapping a controversial $444 million grant given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Labor is also pursuing the government over an $80 million water buyback in 2017.
WHAT IS MAKING NEWS
* More than 200 people have been killed and at least 450 wounded in bomb blasts that ripped through three churches and three luxury hotels and a guesthouse in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
* The coalition is facing questions over its handling of the Murray-Darling Basin plan and a multi-million dollar water purchase, as calls for a royal commission grow.
* The Labor Party has removed mention of leader Bill Shorten from campaign material especially in marginal seats because of his poor rating among voters.
THE LATEST POLLS
* Internal Liberal Party polling in The West Australian shows Bill Shorten minus 26 favourability in the WA Labor-held marginal seat of Cowan, while Scott Morrison’s favourability in the seat was positive seven. Mr Shorten has a minus 19 net favourability across marginal seats nationally, according to last month’s Crosby Textor research.
THEY SAID WHAT?
“Labor will terminate this dodgy grant agreement, under which $444 million has been given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to distribute, and return the balance of the funding to our public agencies, ensuring every dollar is spent on the conservation of our reef.” – Mr Shorten pledges to scrap a controversial payment to a little-known charity.
“The devastating nature of this horrific attack on innocent lives, simply going about their day, going to worship on the holiest of days of the Christian calendar, is just absolutely devastating.” – Mr Morrison reacts to bombings in Sri Lanka.