Election 2016: Here's your final campaign email

Australia Votes 2016
The Medicare rumble continues amid claims of netball pork-barrelling
Good afternoon,

Congratulations, you did it! You made it through the long eight-week campaign.

So, for the final time, here's what happened on the campaign trail today:


1. HOW DID THE LEADERS SPEND THEIR FINAL CAMPAIGN HOURS?

Both leaders spent the day making a pitch to voters in western Sydney.

Malcolm Turnbull did a street walk and visited a robotics factory in the Liberal-held seat of Reid.

Bill Shorten marked the start of the full roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme at a disability services centre in Parramatta.

He then visited three western Sydney seats, including Barton, a seat Labor is increasingly confident it can snatch from the Coalition.

Speaking of confidence, former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke doesn't appear to have too much of it, saying last night that the evidence is pointing to a Coalition victory.

Mr Shorten has dismissed the comments, saying Mr Hawke was just "quoting the bookies".

But the word from our insiders on the campaign trail is that confidence is building within the Coalition camp.

MP Craig Laundy today introduced Mr Turnbull as the current and future prime minister of Australia.

But with the latest polls still labelling the election as too close to call, we'll find out if that confidence is warranted tomorrow night.




2. THE MEDICARE RUMBLE CONTINUED RIGHT UP TO THE FINAL WHISTLE

The PM has guaranteed Australians will not pay more to visit the doctor despite the Government's continued freeze on Medicare payments to health professionals.

Reminder: The Government has extended the freeze on rebates paid to doctors and other medical professionals until 2020.

Mr Turnbull told Channel Seven that patients "absolutely" would not pay more because of the freeze.

But the Australian Medical Association has rejected the claim.

AMA president Michael Gannon said many practices have already started to charge patients more, because they were unable to bear the brunt of the changes themselves.

Mr Turnbull said he can't control what doctors charge - but if they put up fees they can't reasonably blame the rebate freeze.


3. NICK XENOPHON IS ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY

If there's one thing ABC election analyst Antony Green is sure about, it's that the Nick Xenophon Team is going to create history tomorrow.

Mr Green said the NXT would pick up at least three local Senate seats, would threaten in Lower House seats, including Mayo and Grey, and could steal Senate seats outside his home state as well.

"Nick Xenophon is going to receive the highest vote for a minor or third party candidate in over a century in any state," Mr Green said.

"It will be the biggest breakdown in the two-party system in a century in Australia."




4. CLAIMS OF PORK-BARRELLING OVER COALITION'S NETBALL FUNDING

Labor has accused the Government of pork-barrelling after it promised to pump millions of dollars into netball clubs in marginal seats, if re-elected.

During June the Coalition made at least 27 netball-related commitments, worth more than $40 million combined, including to build and upgrade courts, clubhouses and change rooms. Most of the promises were for marginal seats.

Labor spokesman Pat Conroy said he's a "big fan" of netball "but what's clear is Mr Turnbull's national economic plan is all about a netball-led recovery".

A Coalition spokesperson was not available for interview but last month Foreign Minister Julie Bishop denied sports funding was pork-barrelling.

"These are the kind of funding announcements that a government concerned about local communities should make," she said.


ELECTION SPOTLIGHT: CLARKE & DAWE

Brian interviews Mark Eachbox from the Australian Electoral Commission but both men struggle to stay awake while discussing the "exhilarating spectacle of the very high-quality debate" between the two major parties this election campaign.

You can watch the two-and-a-half-minute episode here.


FROM THE DRUM: THE MANY SHADES OF THIS ELECTION

Barrie Cassidy writes that traditionally first-term governments are returned with a reduced majority.

That is the most anticipated outcome again this time.

But even if that fact is established early on, attention will remain on whether Malcolm Turnbull can (a) have the numbers in a joint sitting of the two chambers, and (b) govern in his own right.

You can read more about which seats are considered the "low hanging fruit" and which ones will determine if Turnbull retains a majority government here.


COMING UP NEXT:
  • Mathias Cormann and Penny Wong will be interviewed on 7.30
  • Polling opens at 8am tomorrow (Saturday). Find out where to vote here

Want more? Check out our Australia Votes homepage for all the latest election news and analysis.

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