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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Amy Remeikis

Nation in mourning for Bob Hawke – as it happened

Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke in 1983. The former Australian prime minister and Labor leader has died aged 89, only two days before the election. Photograph: Fairfax Media via Getty Images

With both campaigns all but down for the night, we are going to wrap up the blog for the final time this campaign.

We will be back tomorrow morning to cover election day, and I will be with you all night and the next day, to cover the fall out.

It has been an absolute pleasure and honour to spend this campaign with you all. You’ve made me laugh, and sometimes snort, and of course, think. All of which reminds me how incredibly lucky I am to have this job.

If you are heading to the polls tomorrow, I only ask that you vote with both your heart and your head. Your heart for what feels right to you. Your head for what feels right for the future. I hope that marries up for you. That always makes it easier. Australia really is on a tipping point at this election. There have been some big ideas and some very small minds. That’s par for the course for elections. But we don’t get this time again. We won’t have this particular decision, with these particular policy choices again. Every vote, in both the house of reps, and the Senate, absolutely matters. It’s what matters to you, that will make it count.

Thank you again. We’ll see you soon.

And please – take care of you, and those around you.

ABC RMIT Fact Check have looked at Josh Frydenberg’s claims on Labor’s proposed changes to capital gains tax:

Their conclusion?

Mr Frydenberg’s claim is misleading.

He points out that more than 60 per cent of taxpayers declaring a capital gain in a given year were on taxable incomes of less than $80,000.

However, this paints a distorted picture.

Taxable income is a poor indicator of household wealth, as noted by leading tax and economic modelling experts and previously reported by Fact Check in January and November.

Relatively well-off individuals (and households) can reduce taxable incomes in a variety of ways.

They can negatively gear investment properties, offset income against other business losses or transfer assets to family members, for example.

Moreover, Mr Frydenberg referred to the number of taxpayers who declared a capital gain.

This effectively treats small capital gains in the same way as very large capital gains.

Experts told Fact Check that a more meaningful set of numbers is the value of capital gains declared by various income groups.

Scott Morrison is also wrapping up his final day of campaigning. The journalists following his campaign have just landed in Nowra, which is Gilmore. The Liberals are narrowly ahead there, but if you can put any stock in the single seat polls released yesterday, the primary vote has absolutely tanked.

He spent his final campaign hours mostly in Queensland. Longman. Herbert. Leichhardt. Flynn. That tells you a lot. Victoria is still in a lot of trouble, but he and the campaign chose Queensland. Keep an eye on all of those seats, because the internal tracking polling must be telling them something that led to that choice. It doesn’t happen by accident.

Bill Shorten had planned to spend most of his final day in Queensland as well. Longman and Herbert were both on the list. That says a lot too. No one has really spoken about Longman this campaign, but it looks like the Palmer and Hanson campaigns may be biting.

Bill Shorten is back in Melbourne, where he, Dan Andrews and Steve Bracks have come together to raise a glass to Hawkie:

The day after the election, Tanya Plibersek and Paul Fletcher will front up to Insiders

Insiders is filmed in Melbourne. Which makes it interesting that Josh Frydenberg isn’t back in the studio

Naaman Zhou live blogged the reaction to Bob Hawke’s passing for us overnight.

He did so knowing that it was Hawke’s decision to allow Chinese students to stay in Australia, after Tiananmen Square. We know Hawke acted alone in making that decision. We know from the cabinet papers which were released from the time, many tried to talk him out of it:

Speaking to Guardian Australia, Hawke said that when he announced the decision he had just seen a cable from the embassy setting out in graphic detail what had happened on 4 June 1989.

“I have a deep love for the Chinese people,” Hawke said. “I had no consultation with anyone and when I walked off the dais [after the announcement], I was told: ‘You cannot do that, prime minister.’ I said to them, ‘I just did. It is done.’ ”

The 1988-89 cabinet documents, released by the National Archives, show substantial resistance to the decision by several government departments, including immigration, the Treasury and finance. Departments warned of negative consequences for the budget, the migration program and the labour market.

Zhou has written about what that time was like for his mum:

Like many Chinese-Australians, Ai Ling Zhou was here on a student visa when the soldiers went into Tiananmen Square. She had friends in the crowd, and assumed they had died. She had been here for two years, and had been feeling a kind of hope. Not any more. On her visa, time was running out.

With the former prime minister’s passing, the night Bob Hawke let thousands of Chinese students stay is a moment parents around the country will be telling their children and their families. They are sharing stories and tributes and sadness.

I asked my mother about it. She was 25. It was six days of darkness.

“Before Tiananmen we found it very exciting,” she said. “The students were occupying the square for a lengthy period, and the government didn’t do anything. The Berlin Wall had fallen, the USSR had dissolved, Gorbachev visited China. We thought China was happening. We thought China was going to move into democracy.

“Out of the blue that morning the news came that tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, and there were shootings and there was bloodshed and all of a sudden we just felt, when we saw the news, our hearts just shrank all of a sudden. It was just so sad.

“We left China for political reasons. And when the students were occupying Tiananmen Square, we thought China had hope, and we might go back. I remember all of a sudden, it felt as if I was in a war. As if the war had come to us. That sort of feeling, you’re so scared, you try and hold onto your family members. We felt trapped.”

Hawke made the announcement six days later.

I recommend you read the whole piece, if you have time.

Just down the hall from the Guardian press gallery office is this picture, along with the story of how former Melbourne Herald reporter Gary O’Neill bowled to Bob Hawke, who top-edged the ball into his glasses (you may have seen some of that footage today).

O’Neill reported Hawke was back on his sun-lounge on the field in an hour, dressed in just his budgie-smugglers, catching rays while the game continued.

Updated

As does the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council. From its statement:

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) mourns the passing of Bob Hawke, one of Australia’s greatest statesmen, and a much-beloved friend of both the Australian Jewish community and of Israel.

As Prime Minister, Hawke will always be remembered for his mastery of policy detail and inspiring leadership while maintaining an unwavering authenticity and approachability. These qualities enabled him to steer a government that pushed through transformative reforms that truly changed the face of Australian society and its place in the world.

Earlier, as ACTU leader, Hawke set the scene for these reforms by guiding the Australia labour movement forward with new approaches to the economic problems and challenges of the late 20th century.

The uniquely warm relationship Hawke forged with our Jewish community, and its leaders at the time, both at the ACTU and when he entered politics, will always be cherished. AIJAC National Chairman Mark Leibler was one of those leaders who worked closely with him in those years in his then capacity as President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, and recalls with gratitude his great warmth and openness.

During Hawke’s eight years in government, his genuine affection for Israel throughout his public career saw Australia-Israel relations reach new heights - including the first ever visit to Australia by an Israeli President and the first ever visit to Israel by a serving Australian Prime Minister.

He also deserves to be remembered with sincere gratitude for the courageous role he took in the campaign on behalf of Soviet Jewry, for his pioneering efforts in government to overturn the odious “Zionism is Racism” resolution at the UN, for his efforts to encourage peace between Israel and its neighbours, and for forging close bonds between the ACTU and the Histradrut, Israel’s equivalent trade union body.

Bob Hawke was a truly great Australian whose positive contributions to this nation were profound. AIJAC offers our sincerest condolences to his family and many friends. May his memory be a blessing.

Updated

Acoss has joined the list of those paying tribute to Bob Hawke. From Cassandra Goldie’s statement:

Bob Hawke’s unique leadership combined great intellect, with humour and heart. Where others discriminated or shamed, he offered respect and dignity. As Prime Minister, Bob Hawke rejected racism in all its forms, recognised Australia’s First Peoples’ right to self-determination, celebrated our cultural diversity, welcomed refugees and made concrete advances towards gender equality.

“Among Hawke’s greatest social policy achievements was his success in reducing poverty among Australian children, lifting the unemployment payment, the establishment of today’s Medicare scheme, the creation of ATSIC and significant investments in public housing and child care.

“Bob Hawke’s famous commitment to end child poverty led to an extraordinary reduction in child poverty by 30%, transforming so many young lives.

“In 1987, the Hawke Government delivered a comprehensive child poverty reform package that increased assistance for low-income families and benchmarked income support payments to the cost of children. The package also put in place housing, education, training, childcare and tax reforms to help low-income families. This package reduced child poverty by an extraordinary 30 per cent.

“Hawke demonstrated that poverty was not intractable, but a choice about Government priorities. He had the courage to lead this reform.

“Hawke pioneered a new model of collaborative leadership, working with business, union and community groups to tackle complex policy challenges and his approach led to a fundamentally different Australia.

“We pay tribute to his social, economic, environmental, human rights and international legacy.

“Like so many, we will miss him.”

Labor and Bill Shorten have just taken their final flight of the campaign, back to Melbourne.

The last day of the campaign really has been all about this.

If you vote below the line tomorrow, and I hope you do, because preferences should be up to you, remember to hydrate.

Sarah Martin has taken a look at Scott Morrison’s political history in this podcast, looking at how he might now be selling himself as the bloke next door, but what it took to get there.

Another elderly man basically asks why some fuel sources are demonised and Scott Morrison says he is “always puzzled when any power source attracts such particular partisan attention”.

“It’s just a gas,” he says.

“It’s just petroleum.”

He says that it should just be about the lowest possible cost and we ‘don’t need to engage in a moral debate about it’.

“It’s just coal. It’s just a power source,” he says.

“...Why do we get into any value judgement about any of these particular sources because at the end of the day, they are a practical thing, it’s a power source thing.”

Morrison says his government is bringing it back to the practicalities of it as a power source, without those moral, partisan debates.

I mean sure. Leaded petrol was just a power source. Lead in paint really helped it last longer. Asbestos is not only cheap, and from natural minerals, it is also a great insulator.

Why on earth did we have any moral arguments about whether those things were good or not? I mean, let’s just break it back down to the practicalities right?

Cocaine in coke really helped keep you awake. Letting freight companies run trucks to their own schedules without breaks got everything moving a lot quicker. Cigarette advertising was just the free market at work. Whales are an excellent source of protein. Ivory is pretty. Dumping nuclear waste should be just where ever is practical. Pouring chemicals into water sources is just keeping it off the land. Burning plastic is a really practical way to get rid of land waste.

So many practical solutions just going *begging* because of ridiculous moral and partisan arguments about whether or not that is best for the environment at large. *shakes head*

Remember when Ken O’Dowd said he was willing to step up and run for leader, if called upon?

Yeah.

The next gentlemen says he doesn’t think that solar power is reliable and wants a coal fired power station.

One of the elderly women at the Scott Morrison forum wants to know what the government can do about what her grandchildren are being taught about in schools, because she believes in climate change, but doesn’t believe it is all man-made, but that is what her grandchildren are being taught.

Morrison talks about how many young people believe farmers are having a negative impact on climate change, and whether it is surprising that with that sort of belief, young people who are not much older are “storming farms”.

He doesn’t address what she says about not believing climate change is all man made (spoiler: it pretty much is) but says that it is good for children to challenge what they learn in school.

I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say there is not a single swinging voter in that room.

Helen Davidson and Katharine Murphy have an update on the Rwandan suspected murderers refugee story:

The national security committee of cabinet was briefed about all aspects of the American refugee swap deal in late 2016, including the resettlement of two Rwandan men accused of murdering tourists in Uganda.

Guardian Australian understands the NSC was briefed, and the then treasurer, Scott Morrison, the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, and the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, were aware of all the elements of the agreement signed by Malcolm Turnbull and Barack Obama in 2016.

The advice from the US was the two men did not pose a security risk to Australians.

On Friday Morrison told reporters the two men, former members of a Hutu rebel army implicated in the Rwandan genocide, were assessed and accepted by Australian authorities between April and July last year – during Turnbull’s period as prime minister.

“In these cases … these specific allegations were reviewed by our security agencies and by our immigration authorities, and they were not found to be upheld in their view, and as a result they were allowed to come to Australia,” the prime minister told reporters in Queensland.

“That process went through between about April and July of last year, when that process was pursued.”

Morrison’s comments about the timeline appear to be an attempt to distance the controversy from his leadership, which began in August after the spill against Turnbull.

Morrison refused to comment on the fact that family members of victims and survivors of the Uganda attack were not told the two accused men were in Australia.


You may have noticed Bill Shorten also said something similar in his press conference:

Bob Katter has also given his final address this election.

His Herbert candidate, Nanette Radeck has been the dark horse of the Herbert battle. From his statement:

This is our chance,” Mr Katter said.

“We have an opportunity for controlling the Federal Government here. The Prime Minister said it looks almost certainly to be a hung parliament and if we can get three seats in that Parliament then we will have power such as we haven’t seen in 50 or 60 years.

“The major headline of today’s Townsville Bulletin had our KAP Candidate for Herbert, Nanette Radeck is within striking distance of winning.

“We believe we are stronger here in Leichhardt - so the signs are very good.

Mr Katter said recent polling was rarely accurate for minor parties and that it shouldn’t be taken as the likely outcome of an election.

“Last election, the polling said I’d lose by seven per cent nine days beforehand. I won by 12 per cent.

“With the polling in Townsville, a few days old now, saying we have 13 per cent of the primary vote, well that is a conservative figure but demonstrates the surge of the KAP.”

Scott Morrison wants “to back your aspirations” and says on Saturday “you can vote to bask those aspirations and you can vote to back those aspirations of Australians”.

But in a sign of just how often he has now said those words, and how tired everyone is, he stumbles.

“That is why at this election I am saying I want to back those aspirations in,” he says.

*eye twitch*

Scott Morrison has made his way down to Flynn (Gladstone) as he continues to head south

Your afternoon treat

Bob Hawke sings Waltzing Matilda

Josh Frydenberg was also on ABC radio this morning.

Here is how some of his chat with Fran Kelly went down:

Kelly: [Bob Hawke] was also a leader of passion, of big ideas, of vision. Paul Keating said today, Bob Hawke understood imagination was central to policy-making and never lacked the courage to do what it takes to turn that imagination into reality. He won four elections. Does that suggest to you that voters reward those who have vision, who are not afraid to be a big target?

Frydenberg: Well, I certainly think he had vision, he had courage and he will be remembered that way. John Howard also won four elections and, obviously, Scott Morrison is seeking for the Coalition to be re-elected at this election...

Kelly: Without a major policy offering though. I mean, our Prime Minister saying, I will burn for you every single day, does that really cut it?

Frydenberg: Oh look, I completely disagree with what you have just put to me, because we have said to the Australian people that we will continue to grow the economy. We set out an ambitious economic plan in the Budget. It is all about repairing the nation’s finances, paying back Labor’s debt, it is about cutting taxes, it is about creating more apprentices. There is a record $100 billion of infrastructure spending to bust the congestion in our cities, unlock the potential of our regions, get families home sooner and safer as well as guaranteeing the record funding on essential services, of hospitals and schools. I am really proud of the fact that, in the Budget, we had record spending on mental health. I am really proud of the fact that we have been able to list as a government 2000 drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme - drugs that were not previously listed by the previous government, because the fiscal circumstances did not permit.

Tanya Plibersek is campaigning in Forde with Des Hardman.

Forde is one of the seats Labor is hoping might fall its way on Saturday. Hardman should have won the seat in 2013, but he was replaced at the last minute with Peter Beattie by Kevin Rudd.

Hardman, a local radiographer, never complained. He stepped aside and campaigned for Beattie, even as Bert van Manen won the seat.

He came close last election and has spent the past three years campaigning for the seat. The polls show it is close. But van Manen is a popular, if unoffensive member, who has also been able to dedicate his time to keeping the electorate.

It will be one to watch for sure.

In fact, it has been all about Bob Hawke. Which is understandable.

AAP has compiled some of what has been said about him today:

* “I think he will go down in our history as one of the great prime ministers, certainly since the Second World War. Not only the best Labor leader, I think probably the best prime minister. He understood Australians, he had a very genuine sense of the national interest, he made a lot of significant changes to the Australian way of life but he was a leader.” - Former Liberal leader John Hewson on Sky News

* “I’ve known nobody like him in my life and I’m devastated that his is over. For me he was everything.” - former Hawke cabinet minister Kim Beazley speaks to The West Australian

* “My parents had been a real love story, that is what they had in their time. My dad was just lucky enough to have a second great love story with my step mum Blanche, who I can’t thank enough for her love and care for Bob in this last period of timing, his frailty. She’s just been superb and outstanding.” - daughter Sue Pieters-Hawke on ABC Radio Melbourne

“He brought to the office of prime minister and also to the position of leader of the Labor Party a great deal of authority, and in politics, the greatest commodity a leader can have is authority.” - former prime minister John Howard

* “Bob Hawke had a remarkable ability to reach across party lines. A lot of the things that he did in the early 80s were things which many people felt might have been done by the Fraser government.” - former prime minister and Warringah MP Tony Abbott on Macquarie Radio

* “Bob changed our country and transformed our economy; he turned Australia into a world-leader, full of hope and bold ideas. He loved people and genuinely cared about their futures.” - Western Australian Labor premier Mark McGowan

* “There’s no doubt that Bob Hawke was a political legend... He’ll be remembered for being a bit of a larrikin but also a consummate professional.” - Tasmanian Liberal premier Will Hodgman

* “He was Australia’s greatest environmental prime minister ever. He of course began on election night on the 5th of March 1983 by stating the Franklin Dam will not go ahead. It was an extraordinary moment in environmental history.” - former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown

* “Bob Hawke changed the perception of environmental protection from a fringe issue, to a centrepiece of what good governments do. He set the benchmark for all future prime ministers.” - World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman

Scott Morrison has also spoken to Blanche D’ Alpuget to pass on condolences.

As you can imagine though, there is not a lot of campaigning going on today.

The battle for Dickson is absolutely coming down to the wire.

GetUp will be throwing all they have at it - including putting the message up in the sky.

Literally. People of Dickson tomorrow, follow my oma’s advice, and look up.

Anne Davies has just reported this story:

One of the main beneficiaries of an $80m sale of water to the federal government was a Hong Kong-based investment fund whose founder and chief investment officer attended New College, Oxford, alongside Angus Taylor.

In 2017, the government paid Eastern Australia Agriculture $80m for its entitlements to overland flows on two properties in Queensland.

There is no evidence that Taylor played a role in the 2017 sale and he has said he was not aware of it until after it occurred.

An investor in EAA was Pacific Alliance Group, a Hong Kong-based fund that was established in 2002 by Chris Gradel, who is its chief investment officer.

Taylor, now the energy minister, and Gradel were both at New College between 1990 and 1993. Both were members of the elite New College boat club. Gradel was captain of boats and Taylor, a Rhodes scholar, lists rowing among the several sports he participated in while at Oxford.

The World Wide Fund for Nature has also paid tribute to Bob Hawke’s environmental achievements. From its statement:

The World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia today mourns the loss of Bob Hawke whose record on the environment continues to enrich the lives of Australians.

“Bob Hawke has been described as Australia’s first prime minister for the environment and his conservation record justifies that mantle,” said WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman.

Under his leadership, some of Australia’s most important natural treasures were protected. His record includes:

    • Saving the Franklin River from being dammed to conserve the grandeur of this wild river
    • The historic handback of Uluru to traditional owners
    • Global leadership to halt mining exploitation in Antarctica, the last great wilderness on Earth
    • Protecting the ancient Daintree Rainforest from logging
    • Expanding Tasmania’s World Heritage Area
    • Banning uranium mining at Jabiluka, Kakadu

“Visionary and bold at the time, the significance of these decisions to the Australian people and our natural environment has only grown,” Mr O’Gorman said.

“Bob Hawke changed the perception of environmental protection from a fringe issue, to a centrepiece of what good governments do. He set the benchmark for all future prime ministers.

“He made courageous decisions because they were based on science and the right thing to do.

“He put the Australian people, our Nature and future generations at the heart of decisions.

“WWF-Australia pays tribute to Bob Hawke’s vision and leadership, and pass on our condolences to his family,” Mr O’Gorman said.

Updated

Question: In December, the ALP endorsed multi-employer bargaining, if enterprise bargaining was failing. We haven’t heard, still, what industries you would look to extend it to. Can you give us more detail about industry-wide bargaining under a Labor government?

Shorten: I think talking about bargaining goes to the issues in this election. Wages growth, under the current government, has stagnated.

I thought I was living in a parallel universe yesterday when I saw the other chap mention “Vote Liberal for wage rises”.

I thought, at least we’re winning the argument.

The wages are pretty low. We’ve got a range of mechanisms to get wages moving. Penalty rate cuts. Making sure women get paid the same as men.

Get a living adult wage, not an adult poverty hour of pay. We want to revise enterprise bargaining.

... I’ve practised this win-win system my whole life as a union rep, getting employers and workers to sit down together.

In my 30 years of representing enterprises and workers, I’ve found that when you get people of different points of view in the same room, we do better.

It was the secret of the Hawke consensus – and I intend to revive that approach.

I’ve said to The West Australian newspaper that we will convene a meeting – and I said this Wednesday morning, before the sad news of Bob’s passing late yesterday – that what we need to do is get back to having the employers, the unions, the workers, small business, community in the same room. I can promise Australians millions of householders, millions of wage earners – I get it.

Updated

Question: In the last week, you have had a strong focus on your climate change policy, and you’ve said that the cost of inaction should be considered more than the cost of action. Have you actually done any modelling on the cost of inaction, and what confidence can you give the Australian people that you’re not asking them to write a blank cheque for anything you consider to be climate change action?

Shorten: I say this in the most complimentary way – you are consistent. And I appreciate the question.

The cost of inaction is much more impactful than the cost of action. It’s good to help the decrease of drought and natural disaster. It’s good for the taxpayer.

The government’s offering to pay the big polluters to not pollute, whereas our plans – in terms of taxpayer expenditure – are so significantly less. And then, of course, in terms of the impact to help your business transition – we are talking about transitional change.

The argument the government has run is the equivalent of saying, “Let us stick with the horse and buggy, because the cost of roads and the cost of cars is too expensive.” Labor is a vote for climate action. The nation’s ready. More jobs. Lower power prices. And we haven’t shirked the big question, which is handing on a better deal to our kids.

Updated

Question: If you do need to rely on the independents to form government, would that give you a mandate to implement these policies, or would those policies need to change?

Shorten: I hate to bust Mr Morrison’s bubble here ... His ambition is to win a minority government and get some of the kooky crossbench to vote for him.

My ambition is to form a majority government. And by the way, I’ve spent 2,000 days not talking about the polls. I’m confident Labor will win tomorrow ’cause we’ve got a positive plan for real change to stop the chaos.

A prime minister who says “Vote for me and I’ll give you a minority government and three more years of chaos” – that’s not what Australia needs at this time in our history.

Question: You’re confident you’ll win tomorrow. How many seats will you win by?

Shorten: That’ll be up to the voters. But a win and – is a win is a win. Many of you have been generous enough to cover this campaign. Today is a sad day for the Labor family but, also, it’s an inspirational day.

What people want in this country is they want to enter the third decade of the life of this nation knowing that our kids will get a quality education, knowing that when you’re sick, it’s your Medicare card, not your credit card.

They want to know that, at long last, we will take real action on climate change and not kick the can down the road to the future.

That’s what Labor offers.

Updated

Question: Mr Shorten, you’ve talked about a vote for change. The prime minister said last night that, if Labor does not form a majority government, that that argument of change is not accepted by the Australian people and, in that event – if there’s a hung parliament – he thinks there’s a strong circumstance, a strong case to be made – for the independents to stick with him as the incumbent. What do you say to that?

Shorten: Well, today’s a day of mixed emotions, really, isn’t it? I’m sad that a man I admired, who inspired me to join Labor, has gone.

I’m also excited at the prospect that Labor could form a government.

In terms of Mr Morrison’s attacks on us, really it’s been the tale of this election, hasn’t it?

The current prime minister is now saying “Vote for Liberals ’cause I can form a minority government.”

The Australian people are over the chaos.

I say vote for Labor for real change because it’s in the interests of the people. I say that, if we want to have the best Medicare system in the world, if we want to protect our environment and hand on a better environment to our kids and our grandkids, if we want to make sure that working people in this country get ahead again with help on cost of living and childcare, that the pensioners don’t get forgotten, that we get wages moving – Labor’s made a positive case this whole election.

We think this country works best when we are ambitious for the future, not captured by the fears of the past.

When we uplift the talents of the Australian people. Not ride it down and scare and intimidate people.

So I’m aiming for a majority government. We’ve been leading the policy debate. I have a united team.

And we think the nation is ready for change.

The people tell me this wherever I go. Do you know what people say?

“Just be positive. Don’t be negative. Don’t spend your time talking about the other bloke. Spend your time talking about us.”

I’ve taken the advice of the people, and I’ve practised that as much as I possibly can in the last 36 days of this campaign.

Updated

Question: You had the opportunity to sit down with Blanche this morning.

... What did you tell her, and how emotional was that encounter for you?

Shorten: She’s a truly formidable person. I don’t know how many of us would cope in the same circumstances.

She did caution me about being too soppy, she said, because that might set her off. She’s a great person.

He was a great person.

And I should also, at this point, acknowledge the contribution that the late Hazel Hawke made.

I should acknowledge that, for his children and his extended family and his stepson, they’ve had to share this great Australian with all Australians.

Grief is complex at any time.

And when you’ve got to share your grief with a nation, that feels particularly complex, because we all feel we knew Bob Hawke and saw him over the years. Blanche is in good shape. She’s strong.

And she knows that, wherever Bob is, he’d be loving the fact that people love him.

Updated

Question: Mr Shorten, can I just ask – 12 million Australians will vote tomorrow. As they vote – as they mark the ballot paper – should they be thinking about Bob Hawke, or should they vote only the issues?

Bill Shorten: Blanche said that nothing would make Bob happier than Labor forming a government tomorrow night.

I think the time for talk about the election is nearly at an end, if it’s not at an end. The voters will make their judgement now.

I would say to voters – vote for real change. End the chaos. Vote for re-election on the climate.

Vote to extend our Medicare to cover dental care of pensioners and cancer patients. And vote for cost-of-living measures for families. Let’s get wages moving.

That’s the great thing about our democracy. Everyone’s entitled to make up their own mind according to their own issues. I do believe Labor has the best, most positive platform for real change to help families in this country.

Updated

'He left us all a legacy,' Bill Shorten says on Bob Hawke

They told me he was gonna be there – he was all ready to roll.

Personally, it’s sad to me that I can’t show him that we can win and form a government, ’cause I feel I’d be fulfilling a contract that I mentally made with him all those years ago.

But he wanted us to form a government.

And I’d just say to the nation – Bob Hawkes come along once in your life. He made a difference.

He made a massive difference, didn’t he?

It’s been quite telling to me today – we’re on the eve of our own election, but so many people have stopped to pause and think about what he did.

A lot of people who’ve never met him love him. A lot of people who did meet him love him.

He’s left us all a legacy. Australia loved Bob Hawke. Bob Hawke loved Australians.

Updated

Bill Shorten:

It’s a matter of record that he’d been unwell for some time. I got to see him last year, towards the end of the year. I think for a lot of us, we might have said our goodbyes then. But he rallied.

His constitution’s unmalleable, really, when you consider the life he’d lived. So I got to see him Monday week ago.

You don’t always get to say goodbye to the people you love or respect or your friends.

Sometimes it just happens that, while you’re so busy living life, you’re not there. I’m so lucky that I got to see him then.

Just think about this scene – on the porch, overlooking the water, the veranda – he had his seat facing outwards, overlooking the water and the boats on the bay ... He had his newspaper – I wondered initially if it was a form guide, but it was actually the crossword. He had the dictionary handy. Nice cup of tea.

And he still had a twinkle in his eye. And I got to just sit down next to him and – do you know what it’s like when someone is your hero, and then in adult life you get to be with them and work with them and talk to them? It was a, to be honest, just a pleasure.

Again, I understand – he wasn’t just my hero or Labor’s hero.

He was a nation’s hero. But when we were speaking, I wondered how he would be. He was asking me about the election, peppering me with questions.

Giving some choice analysis, perhaps, of other figures which will only ever be between he and I.

He, um ... He was telling me his plans for election night. He was hanging on there. When I saw him last Monday week ago, he had two goals.

His stepson Louis’s wedding, and to see a Labor government be formed. This is what he said to me.

He did get to see Louis, and his new daughter-in-law – that was great.

Sadly, he didn’t win the fight to be there on election night to see Labor form a government.

Updated

Bill Shorten press conference

Bill Shorten, standing in the Opera House forecourt, is speaking about Bob Hawke:

My good friend Bob Hawke has passed away. The nation’s mourning this. Labor is mourning this. I’m mourning this. I had the privilege to pay my ... respects to Blanche today. Gee, she’s such a strong and amazing woman.

You can see why her and Bob were such a powerful love.

For us in Labor – and, indeed, for many Australians – Bob Hawke has been a fixture of the last two generations.

I remember being in Year 11 and Bob Hawke got elected – Paul Keating treasurer.

There was going to be the employers and the workers all coming together. Bringing Australia together. That was his motto.

And while I’d always been interested, even as a teenager, in politics, that inspires me – bringing people together.

So he was my inspiration. Then he became my friend.

And now, the nation owns him and his legacy. Just – let’s have a think for a moment how Bob Hawke and his government changed Australia for the better.

They brought us outs of the economic doldrums and the tariffs and they modernised the economy.

They made sure that working-class kids could get to university. That more kids than ever finished school.

They’ve protected the environment from the Franklin through to Antarctica. And then, of course, there’s arguably his greatest legacy - Medicare - which Bill Hayden and Whitlam had pushed hard for.

Bob brought it home.

So we all carry Bob Hawke with us in our wallets and our purses and our Medicare card. It’s fantastic.

Updated

John Howard then defends Tony Abbott, saying he found his statement “completely unexceptionable” and that people are outraged for outrage sake – because he is Tony Abbott.

Well, that’s Tony’s way of expressing the reality. The reality is, he did implement policies that attracted support from the Liberal party, and it’s one of those reasons why the policies were adopted.

In sharp contrast – if I may say so – from the experience my government had. Whenever we tried to make any reforms to the Australian economy, they were opposed by the Labor party – I’m not suggesting he would have supported them either, but I’m acknowledging the fact that he was no longer in politics when we implemented those reforms.

Question: Mr Abbott has been widely criticised for that statement he put out.

Howard: I don’t know why. That sounds like outrage for the sake of outrage to me.

... I read Tony’s statement. I thought it was completely unexceptionable. He said Bob had been a great prime minister. And he acknowledged the reforms that he made. I mean, it seems as if there’s a cohort of people in the Australian community at the moment – probably not friends of the Liberal party – who just want to seize on anything Tony Abbott says and criticise it, irrespective of the merit and the substance involved.

Updated

It may seem, now, like a total no-brainer.

But this sort of stuff that Bob Hawke and his government did, faced fierce opposition. And he did it anyway:

John Howard is also paying tribute to Bob Hawke:

He was a staunch union man.

He rose to the top of the ACTU. Yet he did not seek to divide the Australian community on phoney class lines, as some other Labor figures – certainly in recent times – have endeavoured to do.

I extend to his widow, Blanche, to his children and grandchildren, the sympathy not only of myself, but of my wife Jeannette.

And I think I can speak for the broader Australian community in thanking him for his contribution to public life and the impact he made on Australian politics, and the extraordinary contribution he made to the success of the Labor party that he led for such a very long time – a feature of the leadership of the Labor party was that he exercised great authority.

And in politics, the most valuable commodity that a political leader can ever have is authority. And certainly on the Labor side of politics, he had authority in spades.

Updated

Richard Di Natale has paid tribute to Bob Hawke:

“Bob Hawke will be remembered as a giant among prime ministers. He was a champion for the environment, he stood against racism and he gave voice to workers. He showed an unparalleled ability to connect with people across the country, regardless of status or political affiliation.

“Bob Hawke’s leadership on environmental issues showed tremendous courage. He took action to save the Franklin River, despite suffering a political backlash in Tasmania, and he delivered world-heritage listing of Kakadu National Park and the Daintree Wet Tropics.

Thanks to him some of our most precious places are now protected forever and he has inspired many of us to follow in his footsteps.

“At a time when the world faced the menace of apartheid, of the Tiananmen Square massacre and human rights abuses, Bob did not back away from speaking with honesty and strength on the global stage.

“His legacy, including Medicare, legislation to end gender discrimination in the workplace and our strengthened relationship with our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific, have become cornerstones of our nation.

“Farewell Silver Bodgie, you were a Labor Legend and you’ll be missed.”

Updated

Tony Abbott stands by Bob Hawke statement

Tony Abbott has been pressed on his original statement on Bob Hawke’s passing – where he seemed to want the Liberals to take credit for his prime ministerial achievements by saying he had a “Labor heart”, but a “Liberal head”.

That statement was widely condemned, coming as it did, just hours after the news broke Hawke had passed. But Abbott had his talking points for today and he wasn’t going off-script. Asked four times if he regrets his statement, Abbott gave the same line.

“I’m just going to focus on campaigning, if that’s OK,” Abbott said as he left his office.

Question: Would you respond to the claims that you used that statement as political point-scoring?

Abbott: Look, uh, he was a wonderful prime minister. And he is rightly mourned by everyone today.

Question: (Would you reword what you said?)

Abbott: Look, as I said, he was a really good prime minister. I think he was the best Labor prime minister ever.

Question: You wouldn’t change anything about the statement?

Abbott: He was the best Labor prime minister ever. And the challenge for all of us is to be worthy of the greats of the past. And that’s what I certainly hope to do.

Question: So, you don’t want to make any further comment on the statement?

Abbott: As I said, he was a great prime minister.

Question: Was it appropriate, though? Was it an appropriate comment?

Abbott: Look, Bob Hawke was a great prime minister, no doubt about that. I think he was the best Labor prime minister ever.

Question: But the partisan nature of your initial comments has been criticised. Do you stand by them?

Abbott: I think that he was the best Labor prime minister ever, and I think we were very lucky to have him.

Question: Are you worried today is going to be your final day as member for Warringah?

Abbott: Look, I’m doing my best to make sure that this is just another election, in a long public life.

The Greens have announced plans for what they say will be 270,000 new jobs, by switching to renewable industries. From its statement:

“The Greens have a plan for a safer climate, a fairer society and new lasting jobs,” Richard Di Natale said in a statement.

“Scott Morrison wants you to believe that we have to choose between our economy and the environment but the truth is that they move in the same direction.

“Not only would the Greens plan protect existing jobs in Australia’s food bowl and on the Great Barrier Reef, it would create 270,000 new full-time jobs in a range of industries.

“We will create 21st-century jobs that support Australia’s 21st-century needs. Jobs in renewable energy, construction, public service, aged care and the arts.

“While the major parties do the bidding of their big corporate donors and prop up dying fossil fuel industries like coal and gas, the Greens have a comprehensive plan to create real long-term jobs that set us up for the future,” said Di Natale.

Updated

That comes after this story

The Business Council of Australia’s Jennifer Westacott has released a statement on the passing of Bob Hawke:

The business community today pays tribute to Bob Hawke, one of Australia’s greatest leaders and an icon of Australian politics.

Bob Hawke’s greatest legacy will be his impact on how Australians see themselves. He helped create a more competitive Australian economy but also more confident and outgoing Australian community.

As prime minister Bob Hawke united Australians around common purpose – building a stronger, fairer and more prosperous nation.

Bob Hawke laid the foundations for a modern Australia and living standards which are the envy of the world. He opened our country and the economy to the world and brought people together around a common purpose to realise the potential of every single Australian.

Bob Hawke was instrumental in the creation of the Business Council of Australia. In launching the council Hawke called for a “greater sense of national purpose around the restoration of growth”, a cause we continue to pursue passionately today. He understood that you can not deliver fairness without a strong economy.

On a personal note, as a young person you look for leaders who reflect your values and beliefs, who you think can help you deliver your aspirations and your dreams. For me that was Bob Hawke.

Australian political life is poorer today without Bob Hawke, but Australians are richer for his bold economic and social reforms.

On behalf of the Business Council and its members I extend my condolences to the former prime minister’s family, his beloved labour movement and the Australian Labor party.

Updated

And that’s it. Short and sharp. In and out.

And the main message? “Don’t vote Labor”.

Which has been another mark of this campaign. Scott Morrison hasn’t been saying “vote Liberal” anywhere near as much as he has been saying “don’t vote Labor”.

Updated

Question: Prime Minister, you and your opponent are miles apart on negative gearing, right? What’s wrong with a compromised plan, like being allowed to negatively gear, say, two or three houses? And you’re on your own after that? Isn’t that a sensible compromise?

Morrison: I’m looking for the right policies for Australia, not to engage in the higher-taxing policies of the Labor party. I don’t think higher taxes, whether it’s on property or whether it’s on your superannuation, or on the small and family business that you run, or the first home deposit savings that you’re working hard to put in place – I don’t support those policies.

I don’t support them.

I think higher taxes say one thing about the party that’s proposing it – they’re saying that your money is better off in Bill Shorten’s hands than in your hands.

I think your money is better off in your hands. So I’m backing you. Warren’s backing you, up here in Leichhardt.

And we’re asking you to back us so we can ensure and help Australians realise their aspirations, like the wonderful family here who is making that real.

Updated

Question: Polling this morning from Galaxy in WA forecast the Liberals to lose Swan, and also for Labor to retain Cowan, which you have been targeting. Are you confident you’ve done enough in WA? Are you worried about what’s gonna happen in WA?

Morrison:

This will be the closest election we’ve seen in many, many years. I mean, I don’t think anyone who has been following me around the country for these last five weeks, five weeks ago thought this is where the election would be the day before.

And so over that period of time, I’ve simply been making this point to Australians, and as Australians have focused more in on the decision that they will make tomorrow, they are the ones who will make this decision tomorrow.

Every single Australian walking into that ballot box tomorrow is empowered to choose your local member here in Warren Entsch in Leichhardt, and to choose who your prime minister will be.

You will be making that decision, not pollsters, not newspapers, not politicians.

But you will be making that choice. So to stop Labor’s higher taxes, to ensure we keep our economy strong, so you can get to 500,000 people being supported by the NDIS, so you can take on the challenge of combatting youth suicide, so you can tackle climate change and take action on climate change, so you can keep making record investments in schools and hospitals and roads, you need a strong economy.

You need people who know how to manage money.

People who don’t manage money well always come after yours, and they always spend too much.

And that’s what Labor is once again offering at this election.

Updated

Question: Prime Minister, you’re clearly throwing everything at it. There’s no question that you’re campaigning right to the end. If you fall short tomorrow, do you commit to staying in Parliament, or will you seek the leadership in opposition?

Morrison: My answer is the same to what I just said to you. This election is not about my future. It’s about yours. It’s about everybody who’s watching.

This election is about your aspirations, the aspiration of the families and couples and the individuals we’ve met here, who are trying everything they can to get ahead in life.

And so that’s what my focus is on. The personalities of the politics and the politicians, that’s not what this election is about.

It’s not about Canberra, it’s about Cairns. It’s not about Canberra, where politicians meet, unless you live in Canberra! Then, sure. It’s about where people are living around this country and being able to live the lives that they’re trying to live, and for the Government to make life that little bit easier.

And you make life that little bit easier by getting the tax monkey off their back, and certainly not by putting the tax monkey on their back. Labor’s $387bn of higher taxes slow our economy, undermine the value of the home that you have bought and are paying off.

I mean, the Labor party said, “Oh, it’s not a problem if your house value goes down, just don’t sell your house.” Just don’t vote Labor. Just don’t vote Labor. You’ve had a question.

Updated

Question: You have only been prime minister for seven or eight months now, but you have been part of a leadership team of the Coalition for many, many years. Many voters that I’ve spoken to have said they’re still waiting for an apology for the destabilisation over that period of time. As the current leader, as the current prime minister, are you willing to offer an apology?

Morrison: You’re right to say for the last 5.5 years I’ve served in the Cabinet.

I’ve served as a Minister for Immigration and Border Protection that stopped the boats. I ministered in social services, as the minister there, which has ensured that we now have the lowest level of welfare dependency of the working-age population in generations.

As treasurer, I put in the work to ensure that next year we come back into a position of a surplus for the first time in 12 years. I have been part of a government that has been doing all of those things.

I’ve sat around the National Security Committee of Cabinet for the last five years, the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet for a similar period of time.

And so I have been in the engine room of ensuring that our economy is stronger, that our border is secure, that our national security interests have been pursued, that our trade agenda has been followed through on to the point where now 70% of Australia’s trade around the world is covered by trade agreements. And that will go ...

You’ve asked me a question, and I love giving you a full answer.

I love giving you a full answer.

And so I get to 90% in the next five years of the trade that will be covered. Now, all of that is something I don’t make any apologies for, making Australia stronger.

I said when I became prime minister that the events of last year were not acceptable. And we had to change our rules to deal with that. And I changed those rules. So, I now know that, as we go to this election, it is very, very clear that if you vote for the Labor candidate here in Leichhardt, you will get Bill Shorten as your prime minister.

If you vote for Entsch, as my LNP candidate here in Leichhardt, you will get me as your prime minister for the next three years.

That’s the choice. Both parties have now dealt with the problems of the past in our own parties, the Labor party, the Liberal party, the rules have been changed.

So, Australians going to the polls tomorrow know it’s your choice, it’s all about your future, it’s not about the individuals and the personalities that are involved in politics. It’s about the young family here that is living their dream, living their aspiration, and ensuring that more Australians can do the same.

A choice between Bill Shorten as prime minister or myself.

Updated

Question: You’re here campaigning in Leichhardt, held by Mr Entsch on 4.6%. What does that say about your chances tomorrow?

Morrison: It says that I take nothing for granted anywhere in the country, and it says that I love Entschy.

Question: Prime Minister, with the polls being tight today, if Labor fails to win by a majority, will they still have a mandate for their policies?

Morrison: I mean, I see Labor is talking about minority governments now. That’s certainly not what they were talking about before Bill Shorten thought he was embarking on a coronation tour during this campaign.

What that does mean is Bill Shorten would not have been able to have convincedAustralians about what he has been saying.

Which is that his view is that Australians should be taxed more so he can spend more. And I don’t believe Australians see that as the right choice, particularly as we’re facing real, significant challenges in front of us, with the global economy, the tensions between China and the United States, for trade in our region.

I mean, Australians understand that there are many things in our economy that are beyond our control, and we need to be able to prepare ourselves to deal with those challenges. And I don’t believe that a big-taxing, big-spending approach is the way to best prepare Australians and enable Australians to deal with those challenges that are ahead.

Question: But does that mean the families and survivors weren’t told ...? Does that mean that the families and survivors weren’t told, though, regardless ...?

Morrison: It means that we honoured the process that is followed for all refugee resettlements in Australia. And it’s important that you do follow that process. Fully.

Updated

Question: In regards to the two Rwandan men who have entered Australia, did you notify the Australian survivors and the families in New Zealand? And is it disrespectful not to tell them before these men came?

Scott Morrison: Well, these are very sensitive matters, when you’re dealing with any refugee cases. And the privacy of those arrangements is always important.Whether you’re dealing with Sri Lankan refugees, whether you’re dealing with Iraqi refugees, Syrian refugees, indeed, or those out of the Sudan.

And we always respect the privacy, and the privacy of the process, for those individuals, because when you’re providing refugee protection, then that is an important part of the process and an important obligation.

But in these cases, as I said last night on the ABC, on the 7.30 Report, these specific allegations were reviewed by our security agencies and by our immigration authorities, and they were not found to be upheld in their view, and as a result they were allowed to come to Australia.

That process went through between about April and July of last year, when that process was pursued.

So, those matters, as I said at The Press Club yesterday, were fully and totally assessed by our security agencies.

You may have noticed that he made mention of the process occurring in April and July last year - which is under Malcolm Turnbull. That is because the refugees were moved to Australia in November - which is when he was prime minister. So a nice bit of distancing there.

Scott Morrison press conference

Scott Morrison is in Cairns, where Warren Entsch is fighting to hold on to Leichhardt. He used the word ‘aspiration’ four times in about one minute:

Warren is someone whose aspiration is to support the aspirations ofAustralians and his local community. And that’s what we’re doing here. Where we’re standing here today is in the heart of aspirational Australia, where we’re seeing aspirations realised. We’re seeing Australians’ dreams of owning their first home being realised.

We’re seeing others who have that dream of owning their first home, and they’re seeing it within sight, and they’re working towards it, and they’re working hard to achieve it.

And this election is about that, at the end of the day. I want to support Australians to achieve their aspirations.

Streem, a media monitoring company, has taken a look at the top 10 words used by Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten during the campaign.

And if you needed any further proof that the Coalition has based its campaign around Labor, take a look at the top four words used by both Morrison and Shorten.

Morrison: Shorten:

Labor Labor

Government Government

People People

Australia Australia

Australians Tax

Shorten Australians

Economy Change

Bill Want

Party Cost

Australian Morrison

Streem also found that Morrison was 71% more likely to mention the opposing party in his speeches and press conferences.

The interview finished with this:

Question: And what effect does this have? It’s come in this - at the last day of the election campaign, this really sad news for the Labor movement, what effect does this have on the tone of the last day of the campaign for you?

Tanya Plibersek:

I - I just don’t even want to think in those terms. We are mourning - we’re mourning a great Australian, um, but I know and he said that he - he wants us to go out and win.

So it’s what I’m going to try to do for the rest of the day.”

Media following the Labor campaign had been in Brisbane, but are flying back to Sydney

Tanya Plibersek also spoke about Bob Hawke’s legacy in that interview:

Question: First of all, what was the significance of his basically reformation of the Australian economy?

Plibersek: I think the Accord is just an - an extraordinary example of seeing an economic policy, a problem at that time, the high inflation, high unemployment, and work being employers and unions to make sure that there were good jobs, decently-paid, and also room to build our social safety net as well.

It’s a classic example of inclusive prosperity that has really inspired Labor to make sure, yes, that our country does well, that business does well because that creates jobs, but to share some of that benefit with the workforce and, you know, reducing tariffs, opening our economy to the world by reducing trade barriers, deregulating the financial sector, all of these reforms he made with Paul Keating have set us up for success in the decades that have followed.

They were hard-fought reforms. Now, this is one of the things that we used to talk about over lunch - there’s this idea that this economic reform, the great social reforms like Medicare, like lifting the school leaving age to encourage more young people to finish high school, like doubling child care, like the Sex Discrimination Act, and protecting the Daintree River, these are phenomenal reforms that shaped our nation and they were controversial at the time.

They were difficult, they were hard-fought and hard-won. And I think if anything the rewriting of history to say that these things were natural and inevitable. I mean, I think that probably irritated him and Paul Keating a little bit because it was tough – reform is tough – and you have to be brave and have an imagination and be visionary, and Bob absolutely was that and Paul absolutely is that.

The sort of idea that somehow the conservatives of their day went along and meekly supported these great changes is simply not true.

Question: What are the lessons, do you think, for today’s politicians from what Bob Hawke did in his time as prime minister?

Plibersek: Well, I think he was – he was great at bringing people together because of those days sitting around the lunchroom listening to – he came from a modest background himself. He was – he was brilliant.

He decided to dedicate his life to the Labor movement and that quality of loving people – I don’t think it’s – I know it sounds a bit odd to say it, but I don’t think it’s an exaggeration, he loved people and sitting at the tables in the lunchrooms listening to their stories is what informed the sort of country that he wanted to build for the people that he loved.

I think that’s a great lesson for us all.

Updated

A visibly emotional Tanya Plibersek spoke to the ABC, about the Bob Hawke she knew:

Plibersek: I feel really sad and I think a lot of Australians feel really sad because they have a great deal of affection for Bob Hawke.

They remember his time as prime minister as a great time in Australia for positive change, for changes to our economy, our society, the environment. I, um – I knew Bob pretty well, he was incredibly generous with his time. We used to have lunch occasionally and he would – would talk about his time in government.

It was great to be able to ask him how he dealt with some of the challenges that they faced, but he was – you know, he wasn’t one especially to be looking backwards. He was always looking really up-to-date in what was happening in politics in the Labor Party around the country and very keen to talk about the future as well.

Question: And so when did you first come across him?

Plibersek: Well, I admired him from a distance when I was in young Labor, but in recent years, I suppose really when we started campaigning around protecting Medicare, he played a larger role in the Labor Party campaign then and I got to know him then, but he’s always been just very generous and supportive to me and to many like me. He’s been a real mentor to people in the Labor Party.

Question: And so how did that association develop over the years? Can you give us an insight into some of the tips he might have given you?

Plibersek: Yeah, we used to have lunch sometimes at his favourite Italian restaurant and – I don’t know, I think his encouragement was to be bold, to be ambitious for the country. He was always, sort of, at the cutting-edge of thinking about a new idea or a new approach and he just – he was so much fun as well.

He’s just a great person to have lunch with, to hang out with. He was phenomenally generous in campaigning with Labor people of the next generation and the generation after.

So while his health was good, even when his feet started to hurt, you’d see him out with people in marginal seats being mobbed, you know, very recognisable character. And he liked to help, even in local government campaigns and so on, if he could get there, if he had the physical ability to get there, he would go and he would help.

Question: Where do you think that passion came from within him?

Plibersek: Oh, well, he’s spoken a lot over the years about the influence of his mother and his family and his upbringing. His time in the union movement, you know, putting him into contact with ordinary working people and their struggles to make ends’ meet. He had a brilliant mind and he’s just a very warm personality that people responded well to.

And that closeness with the Australian people gave him a really clear insight into what needed to happen, what our country needed.

Question: And he genuinely listened to the regular person in the street, like politicians do those street walks today and you see the cameras are there, but he really listened to people and took those messages into policy meetings as well.

Plibersek: Yeah, he loved it. And I was telling the story just earlier – as his health became more – as it became more frail, his office would say when he came to an event, “You got to make sure people don’t tire him out.” Bob would be the one saying, “Come over, let’s get a photo.” And, you know, singing with people and so on. And he never really lost his enthusiasm for, you know, for the people – people loved him and he loved them back.

Updated

And a couple more

Galaxy continued to roll out its single seat polls overnight. (Remember single seat polls are notoriously difficult to do accurately)

Susan Pieters-Hawke spoke to the ABC about her dad this morning:

I must say I’m still in shock. I don’t think I have quite gotten that he’s gone. Parenting was not his strong suit, put it like that,” she said, with a smile.

He was enormously pleased and relieved our mother was such an extraordinary parent because he had deficits on that front. Um, but I - in the normal sense of parenting, he wouldn’t rate highly, but in some of the less normal senses of parenting, I think he was a fabulous and inspiring dad because, you know, you absorb so many of your values from your parents and dad was never too busy to explain the meaning of a complicated word he used. “What does that mean, dad?”, would lead to a long discussion.

And also to explain concepts. I remember having the whole of arbitration system and the justice system, you know, capital and Labor and decent wages and everything explained to me when I was about 8 using the - using a box of corn flakes as an example that helps me understand what he did then in the arbitration commission.

He thought people needed to be paid decently and that the mechanisms of doing that needed to be robust and decent because that was part of a fairer world, a fairer society, which is ultimately what we was all about and I suppose why I’m bothering to speak about him today is because for me this does really throw into such sharp relief the choices we have to make, who we want to be, and reignites my pride in the principles that drove my dad.

Before heading back to Townsville, it looks like the Scott Morrison campaign is heading to Leichhardt, before starting the trip back south.

First Jim Molan was compared to Jesus.

Now it’s Tony Abbott. And ... well, listen for yourself

Updated

This represents a quarter of all voters

Updated

Barrie Cassidy on his former boss, and the exception to the rules he represented:

No matter how often he was advised to step warily on racism, given the diverse nature of Australia’s electorates, he was uncompromising, calling it out whenever he saw it, or any hint of it.

Bob Hawke was the exception to two rules – well, maybe many, but two in particular.

First, he overcame a drinking problem – a serious drinking problem – and went on to be Labor’s longest-serving prime minister.

An old golfing buddy of his, Col Cunningham, said in the recent book Wednesday’s with Bob: “They say beer destroys the brain. Bob disproved that theory. He’s still got his marbles when he should be a raving lunatic.”

And the second is an exception to a rule once articulated by John Howard: that no politician is popular forever – “That is one of the great ironies of politics.”

Howard may be right, generally. But somehow I reckon Bob Hawke was never more popular than he was in his fading years. That’s when people reflected on what once was, and may never be again.

Scott Morrison spent last night in Caboolture, which is the electorate of Longman, and then the morning in Townsville, with Herbert candidate Phil Thompson.

But he is on his way back to Sydney. Bill Shorten had also had a seat blitz planned, but remains in Sydney.

Bob Hawke’s passing has upended the last day of campaigning, for both parties. And the nation.

“I was one of the ones who loved him,” Anthony Albanese said of Bob Hawke this morning

This is also worth re-visiting, just in case you haven’t seen it:

This letter is getting a lot of attention, and justifiably so

With just less than 24 hours to go in the campaign, the polls still have it as a very contest. From AAP:

As the campaign reaches its end, recent polling shows Labor is still on track to win on Saturday.

But the opposition’s lead over the coalition has tightened 51 to 49 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, according to both an Ipsos poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age and a YouGov/Galaxy poll for the Daily Telegraph.

The Ipsos result is tighter than the 52 to 48 per cent in Labor’s favour recorded in early May, with the new survey showing early voters have favoured the coalition over Labor by 53 to 47 per cent.

A series of YouGov Galaxy polls of marginal seats also show Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton will hold on to his seat of Dickson by 51 to 49 per cent compared with Labor.

The surveys suggest a coalition win in Reid, Deakin and Flynn while Gilmore is tipped to go to Labor.

But the Queensland seats of Herbert (Labor) and Forde (LNP) and Victoria’s Liberal-held seat of La Trobe are on a knife’s edge at 50-50.

Bill Shorten is still in Sydney. He is also speaking to ABC Breakfast about Bob Hawke:

He was one of the reasons why I joined the Labor Party. I remember I was in Year 11 at school and Bob Hawke was elected prime minister of Australia.

I liked his message of bringing people together, of getting the workers and unions working with employers.

I loved his message about protecting the environment, making a long-term decision despite the objections of his opponents.

I love the idea that he increased the school retention rate from when three in 10 kids were finishing Year 12 to something like nine in 10 kids, as it is now.

So, he was a hero of mine. And I was particularly happy, in fact, that it was only Monday week ago I was able to catch up and talk to him. I had been told he wasn’t well, and I had known that.

I have been in touch with him many times over the years. But to see him on the veranda last Monday week ago in the afternoon, the sun was on him, he had the cross word out and the dictionary, and all he wanted to do was talk about politics and how the election is going, and his hopes for what we could do.

And he, in fact, told me that he and Blanche had arranged a bit of a party for Saturday night to watch the election count. Of course, he won’t be able to do that from there, but from wherever he is, hopefully he will be looking down.

Question: ...More broadly speaking, not just affecting the Labor Party, but what is Bob Hawke’s great legacy to Australian politics, Bill Shorten?

Shorten: Well, everyone carries it around in their wallet. It’s their Medicare card. He built on Bill Hayden’s idea, and working with Bill Kelty and Paul Keating and others, Bob Hawke introduced universal healthcare, which I think is the envy of the world. I think a close second would be the school retention, and perhaps a very close third is the environmental protection.

For me, though, his message was, “You always do better when you get the people who are disagreeing in the same room.”

And that’s a style of operation which I’ve applied over 30 years. It really appeals to who I am. You can’t get everyone to agree with everyone, but if you get them all in the same room, you can generally solve more problems than you had at the start.

He is also asked about Tony Abbott’s ‘tribute’

Shorten: Oh, I... Listen, today I’m not gonna try and bag the other crew too much. I suspect Tony Abbott’s a man under pressure.

Bob Hawke had a Labor head and a Labor heart.

And I don’t think - ha! - I know Bob, so I don’t think he would have paid too much attention to what Tony Abbott said, to be honest!

Scott Morrison is in Townsville, which is the ultra marginal seat of Herbert.

Speaking to ABC Breakfast, he was asked about Bob Hawke. And Tony Abbott’s ‘tribute’ to the Labor man. And of course, he drops in his word du jour, ‘aspiration’, which I now assume he mumbles in his sleep.

Morrison: Bob Hawke was a great Australian. He transcended politics. He understood Australian life, he lived an Australian life. He changed our national anthem to say “Australians all” and I think that was very fitting of how he saw Australia and everyone in it.

Labor voters, Liberal voters, they all liked Bob Hawke. I think we all remember him today in that way, it was how he connected with Australians that I think actually spoke the most about who he was.

And I extend, as does Jenny, and I our sympathies to Blanche and his entire family. And we also remember Hazel Hawke as well. He was a great Australian. And he was a much-loved Australian. It is a life to be celebrated. And I’ll certainly be doing that today, later this afternoon, and raising a glass in his honour.

Question: OK. Hopefully not drinking as quickly as the former prime minister. What do you think is his legacy, not just to the Labor Party but to Australian politics generally? What legacy does he leave, given his time as prime minister, and the way he operated as a prime minister, and I guess as ahead of a cabinet?

Morrison: Well, he was a unifier, I think. But his appeal was directly, I think, to the hearts and minds of each and every Australian. And he had ability to carry Australians with him because he understood them.

And he understood their aspirations. I think he was the last Labor leader who I think really did understand those aspirations in that very special way. He had a very unique talent for that. He was a man of enormous intellectual capability.

I was talking to John Howard about it last night, and he was an intellectual powerhouse. That was true. But he could combine that with his deep appreciation of the character, of love of life for every Australian.

That’s why he, I think, will be remembered so fondly.

Question: Lots of very fond tributes for Bob Hawke from across the spectrum this morning. I guess the only odd note was by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who somehow, Scott Morrison, managed to turn his tribute into an exercise in political point-scoring, describing Bob Hawke as having aLabor heart by a Liberal head. If you were Tony Abbott, would you have re-worded that tribute?

Morrison: Well, they’re not words I obviously used. I think everyone was seeking to be generous about that. I mean, a Liberal saying that, I would hope, would not seek to be partisan. I think it was more about the broad spectrum of views he was able to embrace, and how all Australians from either the Liberal or Labor side were able to appreciate what he was about. And that’s certainly how I choose to look at that.

Meanwhile, Michael McCormack is still trying to pretend everything is fine, within the Coalition, with his leadership, within the Nationals - take your pick. It is all totally F.I.N.E.

He was talking to ABC Breakfast this morning.

Question: Both you and your colleague, the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, have been declaring throughout this campaign that the chaos and confusion is all behind us, you’re a united team, but the National Party and Liberal Party in New South Wales...

McCormack: Scott Morrison and I are very good mates.

Question: But also know that your parties are in open warfare regarding the New South Wales Senate ticket, with the New South Wales director Ross Cadel saying, “The Coalition agreement has broken.” What sort of a face is that presenting to voters?

McCormack: The Coalition is very united, and we’re united in the fact that we need to keep Bill Shorten out of the Lodge. We are united in the fact...

Question: Excuse the interruption, you’re not united in New South Wales. Barnaby Joyce has bought in, saying - he’s encouraging people to disregard the Coalition how-to-vote card?

McCoramck: Well, it’s up to people when they get to a polling booth as to how they vote. I would encourage them, if there’s a National Party candidate on that how-to-vote card, to put a 1 beside their name. I would like to see Perin Davey, a great voice for water, policy, a great voice for southern and western New South Wales, to be a continuing National Party voice in the upper house.

The National Party needs New South Wales representation in the Senate, and Perin Davey offers an outstanding choice.

That said, I’d like all the National Party, and, indeed, Liberal Party, candidates on the Senate ticket to be elected to Parliament, because we need a strong Coalition voice in that Senate.

The Senate was far too obstructionist in the last term, and, indeed, the one before that. We need to be able to make sure that when we have good policies, good legislation being passed in the lower house, that they can then go through the House of Review, as it’s supposed to be, without too much interruption or delay.

Good morning

The final day of the campaign has broken in the shadow of Bob Hawke’s death.

There is a muted feeling to today’s proceedings. A giant of the labour movement, an all-too-human legend. Hawkey’s passing seems to have hit all sides of politics hard.

Bill Shorten led the tributes overnight. Scott Morrison sent along his own. And then Tony Abbott just Abbotted all over it.

And the tributes continue to pour in.

Of course, the campaign continues, and we will bring you all of that as well.

But for now, take a moment.

Updated

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