Australia news LIVE: Coalition mulls Labor’s stage 3 tax cut changes; Dutton to pledge $900m project for Dunkley byelection

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s reformed stage 3 tax package fails to address the “silent killer” of bracket creep, says Dutton, accusing the government of treating members of the Dunkley electorate with contempt.

Continuing his press conference, Dutton said bracket creep will cause strain on Australian families.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“You go up through the brackets, and it’s you know, it’s a silent killer bracket creep because it just means more and more money has been taken out of your pocket,” he said.

“The government’s not reformed that. What they’ve done is put in place a political response to their problem in Dunkley and I don’t think the people of Dunkley are silly by any stretch of the imagination.

“The prime minister is treating them with contempt at the moment and we’ll have a lot to say in regard to this.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said any upgrade to the rail network beyond Frankston would be a 50-50 split with the Victorian Labor government, but said Jacinda Allan’s government “doesn’t see this as a priority”.

“I don’t think Jacinta Allan’s position is tenable because the local residents here need an upgrade. Having old diesel trains running on a single line in this day and age is just not right,” Dutton said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“I believe that they will revisit this decision, and the prime minister described this project as game-changing, and he was right.”

Dutton’s press conference almost turned to tragedy when, as he spoke beside the train line leading to Leawarra station in Frankston, a man unsteady on his feet walked along the track while a train approached, and unsuccessfully tried to climb up the side of the platform.

Dutton, facing the other way, was unaware of the tense situation unfolding behind him.

The train stopped metres from the station and one of Dutton’s security detail helped the man onto the platform.

The federal government scrapped funding for a planned Frankston to Baxter rail update last year, putting the project on the backburner.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King decided not to proceed as she looked for cost savings in the burgeoning rail and road pipeline, saying the Coalition’s previously budgeted $225 million was nowhere near enough to fund a project Labor said would cost $1.5 billion. The funding was not set to kick in until next decade.

The Labor government has a spending and tax problem, says Dutton, who reiterates his party will look at all the detail of the Prime Minister’s reformed tax package before committing to a position.

Speaking from Dunkley, Dutton said taxes would always be lower under a Liberal-National government compared to the Labor government which he accused of overspending.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“A Labor government always has a spending problem, which means they always have a taxing problem,” he said.

“[Albanese] went to two elections and voted for the stage 3 tax cuts, he broke that promise. So how could you believe anything he says.

“The tax cuts he is promising at the moment are due to come in on the first of July, families are doing it tough right now, because of the decisions that Mr Albanese has made.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers spoke in Queensland this morning.

Watch below:

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is in the Dunkley electorate this morning with Liberal candidate and Frankston City Council Mayor Nathan Conroy announcing a $900 million pledge towards extending a local rail line, should the Coalition win power at the next election.

Conroy described the announcement as a “game changer” for the community to get the infrastructure it needs and deserves, particularly for booming suburbs to the south of the electorate.

“This announcement is a game changer for our electorate, it means that we’re investing more money into our electorate rather than making the cuts that the Albanese government has made,” Conroy said.

This masthead first reported last night that Dutton would make the pledge to win the pivotal Dunkley byelection, as Labor seeks to drag the opposition candidate by tying him to an unpopular local council.

The electrification of the Frankston-Baxter line, along which a diesel V/line regional service currently runs, would include new stations at Langwarrin and Frankston East, both of which sit within Dunkley.

“This is a community that deserves support and we’re here to make a very significant announcement,” he said.

“It’s clear that there is a big choice between the two parties … there are so many local families who are doing it hard at the moment because of the decisions made by Anthony Albanese. The prime minister decided to take $300 million worth of infrastructure out of this local community.”

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton is in Frankston ahead of the Dunkley byelection in Victoria. He was due to speak from 10am.

Watch his press conference below:

Teachers have been warned against asking students to calculate their body mass index (BMI) and using the words “good” and “bad” to describe food under a curriculum overhaul to prevent eating disorders.

Hundreds of references to BMI, weight, calories, diet and the word “healthier” have also been removed from school resources – and replaced with terms such as “balanced nutrition” – by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

Kylie Burton has spearheaded a national campaign to improve the way food and wellbeing is taught in schools.Credit: Glenn Hunt

Under the approved changes – which follow a campaign by eating disorder organisations – teachers are also being warned about the unintended harm of asking students to assess their weight and body measurements and record their food intake in diaries.

Read more of the exclusive national health story here.

Briefly to state news, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced today he is attempting to redraw his government’s deal with two Liberal defectors in a bid to avoid an early election.

Lara Alexander and John Tucker plunged the Liberals into minority government in May when they quit the party to sit as independents over concerns about Tasmania’s deal for an AFL stadium and team.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Tucker put the Rockliff government on notice last month, warning he would move a no-confidence motion when parliament resumed in March if animal welfare monitoring in abattoirs wasn’t improved.

While remaining steadfast in his government going full term, Rockliff said it was clear the pair were not sticking to their pledge to provide confidence and supply.

“As a result, the parliament is becoming unworkable,” he wrote on Friday.

“Despite the government upholding and delivering on our end of the agreement … Mr Tucker and Mrs Alexander are not honouring the intent of the agreement.

“Instead, they have continued to shift the goalposts and threatened to withdraw confidence and supply unless they get their own way.”

AAP