Australian politics live: Barnaby Joyce warns of ‘little Cuba’ after Solomon Islands-China pact; PM hopes for ‘civil discussion’ in leaders’ debate
Challenges for both leaders ahead of first debate of 2022 election campaign; Penny Wong lashes Morrison government’s handling of Solomon Islands as PM defends response; Anthony Albanese says aged care workers are despairing and accuses government of inaction; at least 38 more people die of Covid around the country. Follow all the day’s news
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For followers of South Australian politics, the good burghers of Bragg in Adelaide’s east are headed back to the polls, with Vickie Chapman announcing she will quit politics at the end of the month, triggering a by-election.
Chapman is a moderate Liberal and the new SA Liberal leader, David Speirs is … not in the same faction.
Labor appears to have lost ground in the opening week of the federal election campaign according to the latest Guardian Essential poll, but a majority of respondents still think Anthony Albanese will be Australia’s next prime minister.
The latest survey of 1,020 respondents shows Labor’s standing in the two-party preferred “plus” measure is down three points in a fortnight, and there has been a two point increase in the number of undecided voters. But 55% of respondents believe Labor will win on 21 May.
Read the original article at The Guardian