Australia election 2025 live: Labor pledges $1bn for mental health; Dutton and Albanese prepare for first debate
Key events
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says his comments calling Donald Trump a “shrewd operator” and a man with “gravitas” was in relation to the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, while he doesn’t agree “at all” with Trump’s approach to tariffs.
Dutton has been tested since declaring he would have achieved a better deal with the Trump administration.
Asked on News Breakfast what he could have done this time, Dutton says the Labor government doesn’t have the “connection” with the current Trump administration that the previous Liberal government had with the first administration.
We [the Liberal government] had identified Joe Hockey’s work as ambassador was crucial in doing this – identifying people who could have an influence in the decision in and around the administration. That’s exactly what we did. This Prime Minister just hasn’t got any of that connection. There’s been no work done in the run-up to what was obviously being announced.
Dutton has said he would take a “carrot” over a “stick” approach to negotiations, offering more on the defence relationship with the US, which Labor has criticised, calling it a “dangerous way to go”, by linking trade with defence,.
NSW hospital doctors begin three-day strike
Natasha May
Doctors in NSW hospitals are striking for the first time this millennium, with today the first of three days of industrial action planned across the state’s hospitals.
The doctor’s union, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (Asmof), says the strike will not be putting patients at risk, but the state government say they have not been provided the details to be assured.
Asmof said the numbers striking have been limited based on discussions with senior staff within each hospitals’ departments to ensure safe staffing levels, which at a minimum will be the same level they are on public holidays, nights and weekends.
As a result, not all 5,000 doctors participating in the action will be walking off the job, some may also be taking other forms of action like bans on administrative duties.
The NSW minister for health, Ryan Park, says he is not assured patient safety can be maintained with this skeleton staff due to the higher demand for services during the daytime on weekdays.
Ian Lisser, Asmof NSW’s manager of industrial services, said the union will direct doctors to work if the plans appeared to leave departments with unsafe staffing levels.
The greatest number of staff who will be walking off the job will be in Sydney metropolitan hospitals – Royal Prince Alfred, St George, Westmead, Prince of Wales, Liverpool and Nepean, Lisser said.
Read more here:
Butler says many Australians will be ‘bracing for today’ amid market turmoil
Butler is also asked about Donald Trump (of course), and the damage he’s potentially doing to the Australian economy.
The tariffs have already had a huge impact on global markets, and including on Australians’ superannuation balances, so Butler says there will be a lot of people “bracing for today with a deep sense of trepidation” to see how the market goes.
Butler says the government “got a better deal than any other country” in response to Peter Dutton’s claim he could have achieved a better outcome.
We had meetings at very high levels and no country on the planet got a better deal. What we’re dealing with now is the global reverberations from that.
Labor has been pushing for Australian products to now turn to other markets and diversify in response.
Regions and outer suburbs to benefit from free mental health services, says minister
The health minister, Mark Butler, is out doing the media rounds this morning, to sell the $1bn mental health package the government is announcing this morning.
Josh Butler has the details for you below, which Butler tells ABC News Breakfast is to build free mental health services “where people need it”, particularly in the regions and outer suburbs.
We know that the teen years and early 20s are where most disorders emerge. Services that young people feel comfortable visiting is critically important.
Asked why so much of the funding is going to Headspace and whether they’ve been able to make a dent in stopping the deterioration of mental health in young people, Butler says Labor had evaluated the service and the results were “positive”.
Well, they were evaluated fairly early in our term of government and seen to be very positive … It’s a really important service that means young people know there’s somewhere they can feel comfortable going to.
Labor pledges $1bn for mental health
Josh Butler
Labor will commit $1bn to a major mental health policy, including upgrading or establishing dozens of Medicare, Headspace and youth mental health centres.
The government would also put $90m towards training some 1,200 mental health workers.
Anthony Albanese will on Tuesday pledge $500m for 20 youth specialist care centres, as well as $225m for 31 new and upgrades to Medicare mental health centres, and $200m to expanding or starting 58 Headspace centres.
The youth centres will be focused on addressing what is called “the missing middle”, or complex needs that can be addressed outside hospitals – such as personality disorders, eating disorders and early psychosis.
“We will deliver $1 billion to roll out more services and locations Australians can go for free, public mental health care backed by Medicare,” Albanese said in a statement.
Whether you need short-term support or ongoing care, young or old, we will ensure that a free, mental health service backed by Medicare will be there for you and your family.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said the competing Coalition policy of doubling the number of Medicare-backed mental health sessions would “create a bottleneck that means tens of thousands of Australians get no help at all” by “piling more demand on private psychologists”.
The announcement was welcomed by mental health experts including Mental Health Australia, Headspace and Patrick McGorry of Orygen. McGorry had joined Peter Dutton in Melbourne last week when the Liberal leader announced new funding for a Headspace centre in Melton. McGorry said:
Australians will be relieved and grateful that a re-elected Albanese government will respond decisively to the youth mental health crisis by strengthening Headspace, building a network of strong specialised youth mental health centres to support all primary care providers, and expanding a diverse and skilled mental health workforce.
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning,
Krishani Dhanji here with you, as we follow along on this election race.
Both leaders, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, are in Sydney this morning, ahead of the first leaders’ debate tonight on Sky News.
We’re health focused this morning, with Labor unveiling a $1bn mental health promise which we’ll dig into the details of shortly.
And Donald Trump has threatened even more tariffs on China (and just after the latest Treasury modelling was released yesterday afternoon), we’ll no doubt be seeing plenty of reaction to that as well.
So buckle up, it’s going to be a big one (and yes – I said this yesterday, but it was true)!
