Federal Election 2025: Hecklers target both leaders in day one of campaign trail focused on Queensland

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have been heckled at separate events on a dramatic first day of campaigning for the May 3 election. Climate protesters have crashed two events attended by the Opposition Leader in Brisbane, while the Prime Minister’s press conference was interrupted by a heckler on Saturday, A Rising Tide protester crashed appearances by Mr Dutton at Brisbane’s iconic XXXX brewery at his first event of the day. Just four hours later, there was a second protest while the Opposition Leader was meeting leaders of the Chinese community. During Mr Albanese’s main press conference of the day, Laurence McIntyre, an anti-immigration, far-right online personality who claims to be a journalist through his social media platform: What’s News!?, caused a scene. After being removed from the scene, Mr McIntyre bragged on X about how he “ripped into Chalmers and Albo himself IRL”. . At the XXXX event, a climate protester tried to confront Mr Dutton, demanding transparency over the cost of the Coalition’s nuclear policy. The protester was wearing a high-vis vest, similar to what was given to journalists travelling with Mr Dutton, when she pulled out sign that read: No new gas, no new nuclear. She was also heard demanding the collation reveal the cost of the nuclear projects. “Why are you lying to the Australian people about the cost of nuclear?” she shouted at Mr Dutton. Later in the seat of Moreton, a protester made a scene as Mr Dutton announced new funding to the Chinese Museum of Queensland alongside Liberal senator Paul Scarr. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was confronted by a climate change protester at a campaign stop in Brisbane. The protester held up an identical sign calling for no new nuclear and gas, and urged Mr Dutton to reveal the true cost of nuclear, before she was escorted from the venue. The woman appeared to have been waiting in the restaurant dining area which had been opened to the public Rising Tide claimed responsibility for the initial disruption, which they said was the fifth in the last fortnight. Members were also seen at a press conference with shadow treasurer Angus Taylor, and a pre-budget speech with Jim Chalmers. Protester Natalie Lindner said the Coalition should scrap the unpopular policy. “Dutton’s nuclear scheme will actively worsen the cost of living and climate crisis,” she said. “We have just seen with ex-tropical cyclone Alfred what the climate crisis is already doing to Australian communities. “We cannot afford more distraction and delay with ridiculous energy policies like nuclear.” Mr Dutton is targeting Moreton, on Brisbane’s southside, with the retirement of long-serving Labor MP Graham Perrett who is retiring at the election. He held the seat with a 9.1 per cent margin. Henry Swindon will contest the party for the Liberals, while Julie-Ann Campbell is Labor’s candidate. ‘Cheers’: Albo’s touts Aussie made in Bundy tour The Prime Minister touched down in Bundaberg on Saturday afternoon after an explosive pit stop in Peter Dutton’s electorate of Dickson in Brisbane’s suburbs. The PM highlighted Labor’s investment in infrastructure at the Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Brewery, including the $1.7bn Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund. Clinking drinks with staff at the factory, Mr Albanese said the Australian-made beverages were “the best in the world”, with a focus on promoting Aussie-made products. “We know that we can make things here and part of my government’s agenda is a future made in Australia,” Mr Albanese said. “We want more manufacturing here, more jobs created here. We want to celebrate what is here.” Industry Minister Ed Husic meanwhile hit out at Peter Dutton for calling Aussie manufacturing “a joke”, and his industry spokeswoman and deputy Sussan Ley who called it a “graveyard”. “My message to Peter Dutton is to not talk down to his fellow Queenslanders, because the work that’s being done here by Queenslanders is not a joke,” he said. “Australian workers, blue collar workers across the country, want to know that they have got an Australian government that’s got their backs, and that the work that they’re doing is not in the graveyard.” The seat of Hinkler is a traditional Nationals seat, which has been vacated by long-serving MP and former cabinet minister Keith Pitt who was appointed ambassador to the Holy See. Former Member for Bundaberg David Batt will contest the seat for the LNP, while former Bundaberg Citizen of the Year and councillor Trish Mears is contesting for Labor who needs to overcome a margin of about 10 per cent. Dutton rallies Dickson locals Peter Dutton later returned to his seat of Dickson to a rally with a large room full of supporters, just hours after Anthony Albanese made it a point of holding his first campaign there on Saturday morning. Speaking at a community morning tea at the Eatons Hill Hotel, in his outer Brisbane electorate of Dickson, the Opposition leader shared his vision of Australia with attendees. His wife, Kirilly Dutton, who is recovering from surgery on a broken wrist, was also in attendance. He vowed that if elected, his government would support those struggling hardest with the cost of living. Mr Dutton said the number of people with jobs who needed help from food banks and other charities had increased, evidence of declining prosperity under Labor. “Over the course of the last couple of years, we’re now seeing people who are working two jobs, people who are still turning up to food banks asking for food hampers because they can’t afford to pay the bills under this government,” he said. He promised to lower rates of homelessness and banish the “level of despair” in the community. “With the election, we are going to help people get in their homes,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that people are homeless who are sleeping rough at the moment have a better and brighter future, as they should in our great country, and that will be because of our good economic management and because we’re guided by our values and what is right.” Mr Dutton holds the electorate on a 1.7 per cent margin. Three-time Labor challenger Ali France will contest the seat, alongside Climate 200 backed challenger Ellie Smith. Greens rally to “keep Dutton out” The Greens, meanwhile, held a rally in Brisbane to “keep Dutton out”. The minor party surprisingly won three inner-Brisbane seats at the 2022 election, including Brisbane and Ryan from the Liberals and the seat of Griffith – once held by former PM Kevin Rudd – from Labor. Greens leader Adam Bandt said Brisbane voters were “in the box seat”: “They can keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act by getting dental into Medicare, by capping rent increases and making it free to see the GP, all while taking real action on climate and the environment,” he told supporters. “People here don’t want Peter Dutton bringing his Trump style politics to Australia, and people in Brisbane certainly don’t want to see us going nuclear.” Mr Dutton began his election campaign at the XXXX Brewery in the seat of Brisbane and near Ryan. Question mark over Coalition’s energy bill vow Australians won’t be told how long they’ll have to wait to be shown modelling on how much and when energy bills will be reduced under the Coalition. During his first campaign event at Brisbane’s XXXX brewery on Saturday, Peter Dutton dodged directly answering a question on the impact of his newly announced National Gas Plan on household energy bills. The policy will redirect 50 to 100 petajoules of gas into Australia’s energy grid, which the Coalition says would reduce wholesale gas prices by $10 per gigajoule. While the Opposition Leader said bills would come down by the end of this year, it’s unclear by how much prices will be lowered. “I’m not going into this election, as the Prime Minister did in the last election, promising that electricity prices have come down by $274 because, as the Prime Minister did before the last election, it wasn’t something that he’s been able to deliver,” he said. “Now for me, I want to deliver on a tangible outcome and the best way that we can do that is to reduce the price of gas. “We know that we can do that by getting more gas into the system.” NED-13123 Key seats Albo kicks off campaign with a baby and heckler Earlier, Mr Albanese received a raucous welcome at a gym in Mr Dutton’s own seat in the Brisbane suburbs, as he spruiked Labor’s investment in Medicare and bulk billing on the first full day of campaigning. The Prime Minister was met with applause from male and female gymgoers at the FitStop gym at the Murrumba Downs Shopping Centre, stopping for pictures and to pat a baby playing with a barbell weight at the centre on Saturday morning. But not everyone was happy to see the PM. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been interrupted by a heckler at the first news conference on the first day of his re-election campaign. The Prime Minister was in Brisbane after calling an election for May 3 when a man confronted him - complaining about his immigration record. Mr Albanese was heckled in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s Dickson electorate, the most marginal seat in Queensland. He was heckled during his first campaigning press conference, held in the electorate of Dickson to laud his government’s funding of health services at the Murrumba Downs Medical and Dental Centre, an urgent care clinic. The man called out the government for increasing migration, “putting pressure on the medical system”. “What about the fact people my age can’t get housing anymore, we can’t get rentals anymore, we have no future in this country anymore,” he said before being removed. “Don’t you think that’s ridiculous. No?” Mr Albanese defended his government’s action on the housing crisis when questioned later, but spent most of the press conference talking up Medicare and attacking Mr Dutton’s health credentials. The PM has leaned heavily on his government’s investment in Medicare and health services during the early hours of the election campaign, including talking up the opening of 87 Urgent Care Clinics and expanded access to bulk billing. If re-elected, Mr Albanese has pledged to open a further 50 clinics across the country and deliver an additional 18 million free GP visits each year. He has also pledged to continue to expand the PBS and fast-track training for GPs and doctors. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has received a raucous welcome at a gym in opposition leader Peter Dutton's own seat in the Brisbane suburbs during the first full day of campaigning. ‘Out to win’: Albo’s battle cry in Dutton country Mr Albanese lashed the Coalition’s shadow cabinet, saying they’re “not ready for government”. Asked if he was “going on the offensive” by choosing to campaign first in Mr Dutton’s seat, Mr Albanese said “I’m out to win”, as he spruiked the opening of 87 new urgent care clinics and an expansion of bulk billing. “I’m out to win here,” he said. “I want a majority Labor government. “I want the last seven elections that produced seven different prime ministers… Isn’t just what we’ll do going forward.” The PM said the current Labor government was “the most stable of my lifetime”, and hit out at Mr Dutton’s cabinet, even forgetting the name of opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston. “Their team, you look at them – they are not ready for government,” Mr Albanese said. “My team is a competent, considered government that gets things done, that is making a positive difference to people’s lives. “We are turning the corner. Let’s not go back.” The PM pushed back against comparisons between Mr Dutton and Donald Trump, but admitted it was “quite clear policies he put forward are things that have been borrowed”. Mr Albanese was at the medical centre to spruik Labor’s policy on Medicare and investments in health, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers calling the May 3 poll a “referendum” on Medicare. Ali France, Labor’s candidate for the electorate of Dickson, pushed back against suggestions it was “third time and out” as she takes another attempt at unseating Mr Dutton. “I think there’s a real risk in Peter Dutton becoming our prime minister, but also staying as the local member,” she said. “He’s been here for 24 years. I think it’s time for a change here in this electorate, and I feel really happy about being able to do this for the third time.” Dutton eyes Greens fight back Peter Dutton’s first campaign visit on the campaign trail will be in the Greens-held electorate of Brisbane. The Liberals lost the seat of Brisbane to Green’s Stephen Bates in 2022. Mr Bates holds the electorate on a 3.7 per cent margin. The Coalition wants to win back the seat of Brisbane with the electorate’s former MP Trevor Evans. The Opposition Leader will hold his day one campaign doorstop at the iconic XXXX brewery, which also borders the seat of Ryan, which the Liberals also lost to the Greens. Elizabeth Watson-Brown holds the seat for the minor party on a slim 2.6 per cent. Maggie Forrest will contest the seat of Ryan for the Liberals. NED-13454-Federal Election by the numbers ‘Trump-lite’: Dutton rebuffs ‘playbook’ claim Opposition leader Peter Dutton has rejected claims Australia would be getting a “Donald Trump lite” if he claims victory this federal election, despite embracing some of the controversial president’s populist policies, including cutting the public service and cracking down on immigration. The Liberal leader claimed he would bring down energy prices and touted the party’s nuclear energy plans – which he said were being embraced in the US and the UK – in an interview with Today show host Clint Stanaway, as the first full day of campaigning got underway on Saturday. Mr Dutton is in Brisbane, a key battleground seat won by Greens MP Stephen Bates off the Liberal National Party at the 2022 election at a margin of 7.5 per cent. Asked about his embrace of US-style policy pledges “straight out of the Trump playbook”, Mr Dutton denied Australia would get a “Donald Trump lite” in a new Liberal government, and instead recalled popular Coalition governments of the past. “I think we’re getting a version of what Liberal governments have been like before, if you look at the Howard government,” Mr Dutton said. “In the case of the Albanese government, there’s always a mess to clean up. “We need to spend money wisely. Every family is feeling the pinch at the moment, and there’s 29,000 small businesses who have collapsed over the past two and a half years (and) a record number in our country of the past 12 months. “What that means is families have lost their homes, they’ve lost their savings, and we have to make sure we can put in place an economy that works for and not against Australians.” Mr Dutton said Australia could not afford another three years under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and that a Liberal government would help to build more homes and “deliver a safer community”. On immigration, Mr Dutton claimed new arrivals “needed a place to live” and were forcing Australians out of housing. “I’m just not going to tolerate that,” he said. “I want to make sure we’ve got Australians front of mind, and that’s exactly what our policies indicate.” Both Labor and the Liberals have put blame for the housing crisis in some part on increased immigration since lockdowns lifted years ago, but the actual impact it has on the market has been disputed. Australian Institute senior economist Matt Grundoff said it was tax breaks for investors that were driving up prices in a piece released on Friday, not immigration. “Despite what you may have been told, over the past 10 years, housing supply has actually grown faster than the population,” he said. ON HOLD NED-13183 Federal election policies Opposition vow cheaper power bills in 9 months Earlier, Peter Dutton argued belligerent gas companies who have opposed the Coalition’s plans to lower gas exports have been “gaming the system”. Speaking to Sunrise from Brisbane on Saturday, he said injecting more gas into Australia’s grid, instead of exporting it offshore would bring down electricity prices. “If the gas companies are telling you that this is bad, that’s because, frankly, many of them are gaming the system,” he said. “I want to be on the side of consumers, and when you see big energy users like Blue Scope making steel for houses and right across the economy… say that it’s good because their gas price is going to come down, (and) therefore they can pass on savings to consumers. “That is deflationary in our economy. That’s exactly what we need now.” A BlueScope spokesperson said using locally-produced gas would be cheaper for businesses. “We do not believe that imported gas can fulfil this need because it will be too costly once liquefaction, transport, storage and regasification costs are included,” a spokesman said. With energy firming up to be a major election battleground, the Opposition Leader claimed increasing gas from domestic sources would bring down electricity bills by the end of this year. “By the end of this year, this calendar year, we can bring that gas into the system,” he said. “We’ve been working on this plan for months. We’ve been working with industry experts, and that’s how we can do it.” Mr Dutton was also forced to defend the Coalition’s nuclear after he only mentioned the word twice in his budget reply speech. However he said nuclear would continue to be a policy priority, stating: “Energy is the economy”. “The Labor Party in the UK have just announced that they can’t reach net zero by 2050 without nuclear, and that’s true in our country as well,” he said. “So we need cleaner fuel, cleaner energy. We need to make sure that we’ve got a cheaper energy like we’re paying three times the cost for electricity of other countries at the moment, and that’s what’s smashing families.” Battlelines drawn over key Queensland seats Labor and the Greens have taken the fight to “Keep Dutton out” to his home turf of Queensland, with both parties expected to hold events during the first full day of campaigning in the Sunshine State. NED-13123 QLD Federal election key seats More than 500 Greens supporters are expected to join leader Adam Bandt and Brisbane MPs Stephen Bates, Max Chandler-Mather, and Elizabeth Watson-Brown at Jagera Community Hall at 9.30am. The party vowed “rain, hail, and shine” to campaign to “deliver the most progressive government Australia has ever seen”, and warned of a potential minority government between the Liberals and Bob Katter. The Greens have vowed hold on to their seats in Brisbane’s inner suburbs, which were snagged during the 2022 election, despite both major parties eyeing potential gains in the first battleground state of the campaign. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flew into Brisbane on day one of the campaign, only hours after announcing in Canberra on Friday morning that the next federal election would be held in just 36 days time on May 3. Opposition leader Peter Dutton was also in Brisbane on Friday for the first day of his five-week campaign tour, telling voters Australia was “going backwards” and accused the PM of being “out of touch” over planned tax cuts. More to come