Federal election 2022 live: Morrison stands by Katherine Deves; Albanese says PM ‘has no plans for the future’

Q: But what if the minimum wage didn’t go up?

Scott Morrison:

It is for them to consider those issues and make that decision. In the same way it’s for the Reserve Bank to independently make their decision on what’s happening with cash rates.

They are the important institutional settings of how our economy is managed. Now, I’ve been around these issues for a long time. Treasurer for three years and coming up to almost four years as prime minister.

I’ve been around the economic settings for a very long time and I know how they work. And that’s why you don’t carelessly go around and start prodding and poking and pretending that you have some magic wand that can raise wages and things like this with Mr Albanese has been going on about.

This guy just doesn’t understand the economy and he just doesn’t understand how budgets work, because he’s never done one.

At-and at a time when we are facing so much uncertainty, at a time where so much is at risk, at a time more broadly internationally in the security environment, there are real consequences for the decisions that people are making right now.

This election is not a passive decision. It’s not one where there are no consequences either way. This is not just like voting in an online poll or something like that, which means nothing.

The way you vote on Election Day and who you choose is going to have a very significant impact. I’ll give you an example of how.

When I first ran for Parliament in 2007, if I’d gone and knocked on people’s doors down there in the Sutherland Shire and I said, “If you elect Kevin Rudd, 800 boats will turn up with 50,000 people on them and 1,200 people will die, they will put in place policies that will set fire to and put in place overpriced school halls and they’ll completely crash the budget,” if I’d said that to people, they would have locked me up. That all happened. They changed to a Labor government from a strongly performing Howard-Costello government.

At the last election, could you imagine had the Australian people chosen differently at the last election and $387 billion of high taxes, abolishing negative gearing, retiree taxes, it goes on and on and on, could you imagine if that had been put on the Australian economy as we went into the pandemic? My point is simple – elections have consequences. The choices you make will have very serious consequences, and Mr Albanese is proving almost every single day the question mark on him about whether he’s up to it

Q: Prime Minister, on wages, do you support Australians on the minimum wage getting a pay rise so it keeps up with the cost of living?

Scott Morrison:

I support the process we’ve always had for the setting of the minimum wage in this country and that is that it be independently assessed in a proper process based on the best facts and information about the economy. That’s why that process is in place. We have always welcomed and accepted the recommendations that have come from that body.

Q: Are you worried that some people are really struggling?

Morrison:

Of course I do. That’s why we’ve halved the petrol tax. This is why we are given tax cuts. This is why those tax cuts today mean that an Australian earning $90,000 today, if they were on Labor’s tax rates that we inherited, they would be paying $50 a week more in tax every single week. Now, that goes on and on and in the next term, the tax plan that we have legislated ensures that those earning between $45,000 and $200,000 will pay no more than 30 cents marginal rate of tax. That is transformational. That is real tax reform that ensures that Australians keep more of what they earn. That is how we can address – see, there are only two ways…

On Labor’s housing equity scheme, Dominic Perrottet does not repeat Morrison’s “forced to sell” line:

When it comes to housing affordability there is no doubt that this is a real challenge, not just here in our state, but around the country.

I’m open to all ideas in relation to how we can drive home ownership. We cannot have an Australia that can’t house its children. And we have an obligation, I believe, to look at innovative thinking about helping particularly young people get their keys to their very first home. Now, reform is hard, and here in our state, we’ve done… You know, we’ve been looking at a fair bit of work in relation to stamp duties. About you what we need to have is a constructive discussion. We should be open to all new ideas to help drive it.

In our upcoming budget here in our state next month, there’ll be a real focus on housing affordability.

Q: Do you agree that it’s a forced-to-buy scheme in the PM’s language?

Perrottet:

There will always be different views in relation to housing affordability. I think it’s important that we’re open-minded. From my perspective, that is certainly the approach that we will take in our state. In the am one thing, when it comes to housing affordability that states can do is drive supply and open up opportunities and build infrastructure to support it.

I was out with Minister Roberts recently in south-west Sydney where we’re looking at new developments, but importantly building the infrastructure. Now, politicians don’t like sometimes investing in those smaller infrastructure projects like water and sewerage because there’s no real ribbons to open on those, but ultimately, they are the investments that drive supply and provide opportunity. Outside of that, I’m very open to looking at new ways of thinking in relation to housing affordability. We’ve been doing that in our state and we’ll do that going forward.

Q: There’s been coal-fired power outages. Has that driven up electricity price as soon as and when will they start coming down? And if I may, Mr Perrottet, do you support an equity scheme. Is it a forced-to-buy scheme? Can you weigh in on that?

Scott Morrison:

On electricity prices, since I’ve become Prime Minister, electricity prices have could am down by over 10%. There are many reasons for us being able to achieve that. The work we’ve done in the retail area and making sure the default offers don’t just put people’s prices up.

We’ve been focused on ensuring the reliability guarantee so we can continue to have reliable, affordable power in the system.

We’re working on a gas-fired power plant in the Hunter, in northern New South Wales, ensuring generation capacity which supports the large influx of renewable energy into the grid.

That’s a good thing but at the same time, it does increase variability in the grid and it does involve intermittent power-generation sources which need to be If you’re bringing intermittent renewable sources into the grid, you need the base load reliable power to support the use of that renewable energy in the system.

So one does work with the other. And we’re already seeing movements in prices now in terms of how they’re feeding into the coal that goes into energy production in this state and around the country.

And we will see those prices move around a bit but what we have seen under us is electricity prices come down 10%. I made it clear yesterday that Labor’s policy that will put $20 billion of investment ahead of when it and where it needs to be in place, that takes on another $50 billion and more of investment which will only put electricity prices up and the estimates of electricity prices going up $560 year – and that’s not just assessments that we’ve made.

Of course, the whole issue of transmission investments that are ill advised and ill timed, whether it’s the Grattan Institute or the Victorian Energy Policy Council or Frontier Economics, they’ve all said very clearly if you over invest, if you gold-plate the grid within transmission, it pushes energy prices up. It can be as much as 46% of your energy bill comes from those who invested in the transmission network getting their money back from you.

And that’s why electricity prices go up if Anthony Albanese’s plan – which is to overinvest, gold-plate, ill-timed investments – that will just put your prices up, because he hasn’t thought it through. (Labor’s plan is for an independent body to make decisions about where the upgrades are needed)

He hasn’t thought it through, like he has not thought through many policies, and nor has he costed them. He hasn’t submitted one policy for costing during this entire election.

You cannot risk Labor with an Anthony Albanese-led government, with Anthony Albanese, who’s never put a Budget together in his entire life in government. And this is no time to be taking that risk with the serious up certainties that the Australian economy is facing closely.

Q: You have a candidate talking about this in an inner-city seat. There’s a huge LGBT community in seats like Wentworth and Kooyong. What message is your candidate sending to them? And what pressure is it putting on people in those seats to retain their seats? And secondly, if Josh Frydenberg is put out because of these comments, who’s your pick for treasurer?

Scott Morrison:

You’ve made a bunch of comments I don’t accept. It’s about the individual Australian, adolescent or otherwise, that is confronted with these issues about surgery regarding their gender reassignment. [Note: it is called gender confirmation.]

That’s the only thing that matters here. The only thing …

Q: But she said they’re being mutilated –

Morrison:

The only thing that matters here is their welfare and the choices that they’re seeking to make and understanding the serious consequences of those changes, and ensuring that they have the right support and that their families have the right support, so they can work through these difficult issues. That’s my only concern here. That’s my only concern.

Q: Prime Minister, will you speak to her? Or will you get the chief medical officer to speak to her down the track? Are you tempted to go campaign with her? She’s just up the road?

Morrison:

I don’t sort of set out my campaign schedule, as you know – and we’ve gone over those issues before. I’m sure I’ll have the opportunity to speak to Katherine.

Q: What will you say to her?

Morrison:

That will be between Katherine and I.

Updated at 19.29 EDT

Q: Prime Minister, Katherine Deves has said that it is the correct terminology to refer to that procedure as “surgically mutilated and sterilised”. If you stand by her, you must stand by her definition of that procedure. Will you engage with the fact as well –

Morrison:

No, I don’t accept … [he also says “I am not a surgeon”]

Q: There are no adolescents who can have this surgery. Prime Minister, you have implied that young people 18 and over can enter into a fundamentally life-changing surgery lightly. You said it’s not something to be taken into lightly. That implies –

Morrison:

Well, it isn’t something to be taken into lightly.

Q: But you’re implying …

Morrison:

No. You’re implying that. I’m not implying that. I’m simply saying that …

Q: Do you stand by her language –

Morrison:

No. I wouldn’t use that language. I wouldn’t use that language.

Q: Have you spoken to her about the language?

Morrison:

I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to her.

Q: Will you speak to her about what she’s been saying?

Morrison:

I’m sure we’ll have the opportunity to talk. I’m not a surgeon or the chief medical officer.

Q: But –

Morrison:

I’m not the chief medical officer.

Q: Children in Australia under 18 can’t undergo gender reassignment surgery in Australia, so how are your comments relevant?

Morrison:

You would also understand that this process can begin in adolescence. Would you know that. You would know that the process of discussions about gender and gender reassignment – the surgical procedure can’t, but the process, the process by which these discussions commence and when issues of gender are being discussed with adolescents, that’s when the process can commence.

And these are issues that I have no doubt Australians are very concerned about. Parents are very concerned about it. They should be dealt with sensitively. I deal with them sensitively and my government will deal with them sensitively.

Updated at 19.22 EDT

Q: Minors can’t undergo that surgery in Australia. Only people aged 18 and over according to your own health website. It can’t happen to minors in Australia.

Scott Morrison:

Even at any other stage, this is serious change. It is irreversible change.

Q: Prime Minister, do you agree with her comments?

That’s not a phrase I would use … and isn’t a phrase any prime minister would use. I’m just simply saying that this is a significant surgical procedure that completely changes someone’s life, and it should never be entered into lightly, and it should never be entered into without a full appreciation of the irreversible changes.

This is what the the health department recommends:

Gender confirmation surgery is not for everyone. Many people are comfortable to live with gender dysphoria or to have hormone therapy only. Choosing gender confirmation surgery is a big decision. It’s almost impossible to reverse.

There are international guidelines covering gender confirmation surgery. Before you have surgery, the guidelines say you must have:

– gender dysphoria that has gone on for some time– be able to make a fully informed decision and give consent– be over 18– have any physical or mental health problems well controlled– have been taking hormones for 12 months continuously, if they are recommended for you– have lived for 12 months continuously as the gender that is the same as your gender identity

Counselling is usually recommended for anyone consider gender confirmation surgery.

As with any surgery, there are risks involved including bleeding, infections, blood clots, damaged tissue and changes in feeling in the skin. Afterwards, some patients have problems going to the toilet or achieving sexual pleasure and/or orgasm.

For people with gender dysphoria, gender confirmation surgery is medically necessary and almost always results in them feeling satisfied and happy after their surgery.

However, gender confirmation surgery can only do so much. You might not be pleased with how you look after surgery. The procedure does not resolve gender dysphoria in everyone.

Updated at 19.25 EDT

Scott Morrison stands by Katherine Deves and wrongly claims minors can have gender confirmation surgery

Scott Morrison has moved on from saying the issue Katherine Deves was talking about was women in sport, to “gender reversal surgery”.

Q: You previously defended Katherine Deve’s controversial comments on transgender teenagers saying she’d apologised and withdrawn them. Now she’s walked that back, do you stand by her?

Morrison:

Yes I do … we’re talking about gender reversal surgery for young adolescents [note: in Australia, minors cannot have the surgery] and we can’t pretend this is not a serious, significant issue.

It is. It’s complicated and the issues that have to be considered, first and foremost in the welfare of the adolescent child and their parents, and their parents – we can’t pretend that this type of surgery is some minor procedure.

This is a very significant change to a young person’s life and it is often irreversible. And I think ensuring that we understand what we’re dealing with here is incredibly important. And that’s why our government and also state governments are so focused on ensuring that we get the right supports, counselling, psychiatric supports, but ultimately the supports for the parents and the family to make the best possible decision.

Now I, and I’m sure many other Australians, are concerned.

This is a concerning issue. It’s a troubling issue and for us to pretend it’s a minor procedure – it’s not. It is extremely significant and it changes that young adolescent’s life forever. And so I think it’s really important that we are very sensitive about those issues. I think it’s very important we’re sensitive about these issues.

Again – you cannot get the surgery Scott Morrison is talking about if you are under 18 in Australia.

Updated at 19.16 EDT

Scott Morrison may want to talk infrastructure today, but it will be his candidates that will most likely take up his time – on top of Katherine Deves backtracking on the apology Morrison had been referring to for the last three weeks, the Bennelong candidate, Simon Kennedy, has made questionable social media posts about vaccines.

Updated at 19.05 EDT

NSW reports 17 Covid deaths

It has been a tough 24 hours in NSW.

Updated at 19.03 EDT

Paul Fletcher, the infrastructure minister, is also at this press conference.

Scott Morrison pushes economic managers message

Scott Morrison is campaigning in Bennelong, but is once again using his pre-press conference spiel to lay out what he actually wants to say – this time, its about economic management.

He starts on the Bennelong bridge, goes to GST and then heads into apprenticeships.

He is reading from notes as he lays out what the Coalition has done on training.

As we come out of this pandemic, and as Australia economy is performing more strongly, the advanced economies in the world, our unemployment falling, our triple A credit rating intact, that means Australia can secure the opportunities ahead of us, because we made the wise decisions during the pandemic to back in those apprenticeships with strong trade policies to ensure that Australian companies had the people they need to now go and seize the opportunities that are ahead of them. Now, I know that’s quite a few things to raise with you this morning. Prime minister Scott Morrison. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Dominic Perrottet is now speaking:

I want to thank the federal government, the Morrison government, for the partnership as he said, we don’t always agree. But we have robust discussions that get things done for our people.

Updated at 19.02 EDT

You can read more about Katherine Deves backtracking on her apology with Paul Karp here:

Bennelong is being wooed with a bridge upgrade:

The Coalition is announcing a $700m investment in the ADF operational headquarters in the seat of Eden-Monaro (Labor held) which it says will create 300 jobs.