Federal election 2025 LIVE updates: AEC issues postal vote warning; PM edges ahead in poll as Dutton spruiks zero-emission nuclear plan

Photographer James Brickwood is travelling with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, and filed these images from Cougar Mining Equipment, Tomago, in the NSW Hunter Valley, where Dutton was earlier today.

Now the prime minister has finished his (rather long) press conference, it might be a good time to hand over our live coverage to Lachlan Abbott for the rest of the afternoon.

If you’re just joining us, here’s what has happened so far today:

• Peter Dutton visited a mining equipment factory in the NSW Hunter Valley, where the Coalition is hoping to win several seats from Labor. He promised to reveal further details about his energy plan, but couldn’t say how much radioactive waste the nuclear reactor, which he has promised to build in the region, would generate.
• Meanwhile, Albanese was in Perth announcing a $355 million hospital upgrade in Labor’s latest health pledge. Predictably, the announcement involved hugging a baby and standing in front of a Medicare sign.

• The Australian Electoral Commission issued a warning to voters over unsolicited application forms send out by political parties. Commissioner Jeff Pope said the forms are legal and will be counted, but he is concerned some applications may not get to them on time, and may expose voters to privacy risks.

That’s it for me. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.

Albanese has just revealed a major change to his environment policy, declaring that, if elected, he would scrap the government’s plan for a national environmental protection agency and create a new model.

Labor formed government in 2022 promising to establish the first-ever national environmental protection agency (EPA) to police large project developments, a major commitment to the party’s green-tinged left flank.

However, it ditched the plan after pushback from the West Australian government and mining industry.

Albanese just announced the government is again pledging to create an environment watchdog, but this time in a different form.

“Well, we won’t be legislating the same model, point one. What we’ll be doing is attempting to legislate an EPA.”

The Albanese campaign is waiting to hear from Dutton’s campaign on whether he will agree to the first debate between leaders.

Albanese said secretaries of the parties discuss the timing of these things, but confirmed a range of people are proposing dates.

“One of the proposals is for the National Press Club. If Peter Dutton can find the National Press Club, that would be a good thing,” Albanese said.“Last time around, there were a range of debates as well. I certainly have agreed to the first debate. We’re awaiting an answer from Peter Dutton as to whether he agrees on that first debate and then that discussion will continue.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would prefer a Chinese research vessel that has been detected off the southern coast of Australia “wasn’t there”, but that the defence force and security agencies were monitoring the situation.

Sky News reported earlier today that the Chinese vessel was tracking a similar route to Australia’s deep-sea submarine cable after concluding a joint exploration exercise with New Zealand in Wellington, and was taking a longer route before returning to China.

“It’s been in New Zealand on a joint research operation, and this isn’t the first time that a similar vessel has been around the Australian coast,” Albanese said.

“It occurred in 2020, for example, just to give one example. Australia, as you would expect, is monitoring this.”

Albanese was then pressed over whether he was concerned about the vessel’s movements before it returned to China.

“I would prefer that it wasn’t there,” he said in a heated moment.

“But we live in circumstances where, just as Australia has vessels in the South China Sea and vessels in the Taiwan Strait and a range of areas, this vessel is there,” he continued.

“What our task is to do, is to make sure that we represent Australia’s national interests. We do that each and every day. And I have every confidence – every confidence – in our Defence Force and our security agencies to do just that.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Peter Dutton is already “measuring up the curtains” after the opposition leader said he would live in Kirribilli House instead of The Lodge.

“[There is] a fair bit of hubris behind that comment, I think,” Albanese said. “I do spend time in Sydney, obviously. My electorate is there. But I believe the Prime Minister should live in The Lodge.

“He [Dutton] says he likes the harbour. You know, everyone likes the harbour. But your job is to be close to where the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is, where meetings happen almost every day.”

WA Premier Roger Cook has formally announced $355 million in funding to the St John of God Midland public hospital in Perth.

The announcement is a part of federal Labor’s push to make Medicare a central part of its campaign and is a point of difference from the Coalition.

Health Minister Mark Butler also promoted Labor’s track record with Medicare, while Albanese had said only Labor would strengthen Medicare.

“A Coalition led by Peter Dutton that wants to cut everything except for your taxes. A Coalition that will cut Medicare as sure as night follows day,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is speaking from the Perth seat of Hasluck.

The seat was previously held by the Liberals with a 5.9 per cent margin before Labor’s Tania Lawrence sensationally won it at the 2022 election, ending senior Coalition minister Ken Wyatt’s 12-year stint as the local MP.

“It’s fantastic to be back in Western Australia for my 30th visit as prime minister, I committed in 2022 to come here 10 times a year, I’ve met that KPI, and I’ll exceed it because the chances are … I’ll be back over the next coming weeks,” he said.