| The PM makes a reef pledge while Labor ups the ante on the NBN | Good evening,
The major parties have thrown punches over two of the election's biggest policy areas - the NBN and the Great Barrier Reef. And today, there were fighting words.
Let's take a look at all the action of the campaign trail:
ROUND 1. PM HEADS NORTH TO MAKE REEF PLEDGE
Malcolm Turnbull and wife Lucy started the day in Townsville in north Queensland and took a boat to Magnetic Island where the PM promised the Coalition would make a major investment to help protect the Great Barrier Reef.
How big was the pledge? $1 billion.
The money is not new. It will come from the $10 billion fund administered by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, originally set up by Labor to back investment in renewable energy projects.
The Coalition's reef promise came a fortnight after Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was in Cairns announcing his party would create a $500 million fund to protect the reef.
FWIW, $123 million of Labor's investment promise was reprioritised money already pledged to the reef in the Coalition's budget. You can read more about the funding arrangements here.
DING DING DING. ROUND TWO: THE NBN
It all started this morning with Labor releasing its policy on the NBN. We found ourselves again talking about the type of connections Australian homes would receive.
Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) or fibre-to-the-node (FTTN)?
It's been pretty difficult to miss that whole debate, but as of today, this is where we're at: - The Coalition's multi-technology mix NBN includes FTTH, FTTN as well as Hybrid Fibre Co-axial (HFC) connections
- Today Labor announced, if elected, it would continue the HFC connections and those scheduled to receive FTTN connections would still get them
- But the Opposition also said those without an existing contract would receive FTTH under Labor
- The Opposition said that meant an extra 2 million homes would get FTTH connections
- The Government said that would cost an extra $8 billion and take at least an extra two years to deliver.
To catch up on who said what over the major policy area, check out our live blog.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH PREFERENCES?
Great question.
The PM announced the Liberal Party would preference the Greens last, or behind Labor, in every Lower House seat.
Here's Mr Turnbull: "This is a decision I've made in the national interest. The big risk in this election is that we would end up with an unstable, chaotic, Labor-Greens minority Government as we've seen before."
This afternoon, the Greens announced they would preference Labor over the Coalition in 139 of the 150 electorates.
NSW COUNCIL AMALGAMATIONS GET A FEDERAL STAGE
Mr Shorten promised $20 million to fund a plebiscite over council amalgamations in New South Wales.
He called last month's sacking of 42 councils an "insult to democracy".
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said that would be a waste of money.
"The State Goverment of New South Wales, elected by the people of New South Wales makes these sorts of decisions and that is the same decision after the plebiscite, if it were to happen, as what it is before the plebiscite. It would make absolutely no difference whatsoever," he said.
ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: THIS IS AN INSIDE JOB
Our political reporter Jane Norman is a good sport. She's travelling in the PM's media pack and the weather today in Townsville wasn't particularly kind.
Norman attempted to battle through the wind and record part of her story. Watch the result.
FROM THE DRUM: PAULA MATTHEWSON
Malcolm Turnbull's decision to preference Labor ahead of the Greens helps his campaign to undermine the minor parties, but it also suggests Coalition strategists are increasingly confident they have the election in the bag, Paula Matthewson writes.
Read the full story.
COMING UP NEXT: - 6:15pm AEST:
Queensland senator Glenn Lazarus will be on RN Drive - 9:35pm AEST:
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will be on Q&A on ABC TV - 10:30pm AEST:
Lateline goes for a drive with Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce on ABC TV
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