Live: Albanese says he won't negotiate with Greens on negative gearing (2025)

If you're just joining us now, here's what you need to know:

• Peter Dutton toured a technical college in the Hunter, where he announced a $260 million pledge for 12 new trade colleges across Australia.
• The opposition leader was pressed about remarks he made about having an aspiration pledge to index personal income tax to abolish bracket creep.
• But he dodged the question on whether the pledge was actually Coalition policy.
• After saying he wasn't a scientist when asked about climate change and natural disasters during the ABC's leaders debate last night, Dutton reiterated he believed in climate change.
• He's also standing by his plan to repeal Labor's latest round of tax cuts should he be elected.
• The opposition leader also pledged to not undertake other tax reforms, such as changes to the GST.
• Dutton was also asked why he won't be visiting communities where he plans to build a nuclear power plant. He says he can't "meet every Australian".

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has been asked why, during the course of the election campaign, he hasn't visited the proposed nuclear power sites to allay the concerns of the local communities.

The reporter points out that some communities have raised concerns about how earthquakes would impact the proposed sites.

Dutton hasn't directly answered the question, but says the future will be brighter for the communities where the proposed nuclear power stations will be based.

"I want to be clear about that. I won't be able to meet every Australian, I have a great honour of meeting many around the country," he says.

He's used the chance to point to other countries who have nuclear energy, like France, UK and Canada.

Peter Dutton is asked if he'd like to see the Port of Newcastle be returned to 100 per cent Australian ownership, as is the Coalition's proposal for the Port of Darwin.

The Chinese company China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPort) has a 50 per cent ownership in the port.

He argues there are "strategic differences between the two assets."

Peter Dutton says he wouldn't make other tax reform changes, including changes to the GST.

He says changes to the income tax system are not a "fundamental change" to the tax system.

But Dutton has turned to Anthony Albanese's comments on the ABC's leaders debate last night about negative gearing.

He says Labor is "proposing to tax on realised capital gain".

Peter Dutton is asked about push polling, following a report in Nine Newspapers that Climate 200 had used the robocalls to spruik teal independents and tarnish their opponents under the banner of conducting polling.

The opposition leader says the teals are just "Greens in disguise".

"These people are hypocrites, and they fool people into believing last time that somehow they were disaffected Liberals, they're Greens, and in the parliament, they voted with the Greens," he says.

"People should abide by the laws as they operate under."

Peter Dutton has been asked about the NDIS and the pressure the scheme is placing on the budget.

He's been asked whether he'd change the eligibility requirements for the NDIS "so it is fit for purpose".

Dutton hasn't answered the question but says he'd support "sensible changes" to the NDIS.

"I sat down ... and said we will support sensible changes to the NDIS," he says.

"I'm not having people with disability is ripped off and I'm not having Australian taxpayers ripped off because of mistakes the Labor party made."

Peter Dutton is asked if migrants seeking to work in the aged care sector will be exempt from his plan to slash the migration rate.

The opposition leader says when he first took up the job he sat down and said the Coalition would support "sensible reforms" to aged care.

He then launches into his reasons why he wants to cut the migration rate, such as freeing up housing.

But he doesn't answer the question on if migrant workers would be exempt.

Peter Dutton is asked whether his nuclear energy policy will create jobs for people in regional Australia.

He says there are other parts of the world where communities have introduced nuclear power plants in place of coal-fired power stations.

Dutton says it has rejuvenated those communities.

"The beauty of an investment like nuclear into the Hunter region for example is you can attract the data centres," he says.

They're the tax cuts worth about $5 a week from 2026 (before increasing to $10 the year after). Labor included it in March budget, and then quickly legislated it that same week to set up an election wedge for the Coalition.

Peter Dutton repeats a well-worn line, saying the cut is only worth 70 cents a day.

He says his plan to cut the fuel excise is a much better option.

"That will be a game changer," he says.

Peter Dutton has been asked about how young people would be able to break into the property market using their super balances under the Coalition's policy.

The reporter points out that the average super balance for a young woman is $6,000 and $56,000 for a young man.

He insists the deposit policy the Coalition has announced will help young people break into the market.

Peter Dutton has repeatedly said he would secure a deal with US President Donald Trump to scrap the tariffs on Australian exports.

A reporter asks how he plans to do that given the opposition leader said (during the ABC's leaders debate) he didn't know Trump.

He says he's done this all before and that's proof he can do it again.

"We did it in government before, so we got an exemption from President Trump in the 44th Presidency because we had an ambassador who had a functioning relationship with the administration," he says.

Just noting it took the Coalition government many months to secure that exemption.

Peter Dutton has been asked about a British Supreme Court ruling yesterday that found the definition of a biological female excludes people who identify as female.

He's sidestepped the question and says he's not across the details of the case, but instead returns to the economy.

"This election is about who do you trust to manage the economy and keep inflation down so we can bring interest rates down," he says.

The opposition leader is asked how he plans to boost the tradie numbers while also pledging to roll back Labor's free TAFE policies.

Peter Dutton points the finger at Labor.

"The government took trades off the skills list during the last couple of years. Why? Because the CFMEU demanded they do it," he says.

He then pivots to talking up his policy to provide $12,000 to employers who take on trainees and apprentices.

Peter Dutton says increasing the tax threshold is an "aspiration".

He says, if elected, the Coalition would pay down government debt so "we can have a tax system fit for purpose".

Dutton has repeated a previous point that Labor is looking to make changes to negative gearing.

"Jim Chalmers is an advocate for the abolition of negative gearing and he obviously is at war with Anthony Albanese," he says.

Dutton has been asked whether the budget would need to be back in surplus to address bracket creep.

He says the Coalition would undertake an "expenditure review process".

Peter Dutton is asked why he wouldn't say he trust US President Donald Trump when asked at the ABC's leaders debate last night.

The opposition leader says he will work with whoever is in the Oval Office.

He pivots to attacking the PM's choice of ambassador (Kevin Rudd), insisting there was "very little trust there" between Rudd and the Trump administration.

But still no word from Dutton on if he trusts Trump.

Energy and climate policies remain a core issue of this election, and Peter Dutton faced repeated questions about his policy during the ABC's leaders debate last night.

Responding to a question on whetherrecent natural disasters were the consequence of climate change — "I don't know because I'm not a scientist".

The ABC's own Tom Crowley asks why the opposition leader couldn't bring himself to say he trusted climate scientists.

"I believe in climate change, and that is a reality," Dutton responds.

"It's why we've adopted our position in relation to net zero by 2050. I think if people are concerned and interested in the topic of climate change and want real action, vote for the Coalition, because we're the only party, through our energy policy, which is capable of delivering lower cost electricity and gas, reliable energy."

Peter Dutton has been asked why the Coalition's tax bracket idea is not yet policy.

He's dodged the question and says the tax bracket changes the Coalition is proposing is part of other policies, including on gas and fuel excise cut, announced ahead of this election.

"I don't think Australians can afford what the prime minister promised last night and that is under a re-elected Labor government, electricity will go up again," he says.

Peter Dutton is taking questions now. It's probably no surprise he's asked about his aspirational pledge for the ­indexation of personal income tax brackets.

The opposition leader made the pledge during anan interview with The Australian. Earlier, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Dutton should "be laughed off the stage" for the suggestion.

Dutton quickly hits back with a reference the PM's fall of a stagein the Hunter two weeks ago.

"First of all, if I fell off the stage one wouldn't lie about it," he says.

He doesn't really address the question, instead opting to discuss his plan to cut the fuel excise.

Dutton says the Liberals would always be the party of lower taxes.

Peter Dutton has just stepped up to talk with Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley and Liberal candidate for PatersonLaurence Antcliff.

Ley andAntcliff have stepped up first, announcing $260 million for 12 new trade colleges across Australia, including one for the Hunter Valley.

Dutton says Anthony Albanese's performance on negative gearing in last night's ABC leaders debate was a "trainwreck".

"The Labor Party has always harboured a desire to abolish negative gearing and their partners in crime the Greens are open about it as well," he says.

While we wait for Peter Dutton, here's a few pictures from his visit to theHunter Trades CollegeinTelarah.