Australia election 2025 live: AEC breakthrough in anti-Spender pamphlet investigation; Labor reveals men’s health policy
AEC identifies person behind Wentworth pamphlets
The Australian Electoral Commission says it has identified the person who sent thousands of unauthorised campaign pamphlets threatening to “expose” the independent MP Allegra Spender, the Australian Associated Press reports.
The commission set up an investigation after more than 47,000 flyers without authorisation were distributed in the eastern Sydney electorate of Wentworth.
The pamphlets claim to be “produced by the people of Wentworth, for the people of Wentworth”, but a lack of official authorisation means voters do not know where its information is sourced from – putting the pamphlets in breach of Australia’s main election law.
Following the investigation, the electoral commission said it had identified the person behind the campaign, who has no link to political parties or candidates contesting the seat of Wentworth.
“To date, our investigation has only identified evidence that this individual has acted alone, and the individual concerned has confirmed this is the case,” the commission said last night.
The commission said the person behind the campaign had pledged to not distribute the flyers or any other unauthorised material.
“The AEC will not be providing the name of this person at this time,” it said.
“Voters are reminded to stop and consider the source of all messages relating to the 2025 federal election.”
Once considered a blue-ribbon Liberal seat, Wentworth was taken off the Coalition at the 2022 election by Spender, making it a tightly contested electorate at the May 3 poll.
The pamphlets claimed Spender had “misled the electorate on her positions”.
The independent MP said its contents were “false, misleading and offensive”.
Key events
Labor targets safe Liberal seats after poll swing – report
A swing against the Coalition in the opinion polls has encouraged Anthony Albanese to target Liberal-held seats previously considered out of reach, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
These include the usually rock-solid Coalition seats of Menzies and Deakin in Melbourne where the prime minister has visited during the campaign.
The paper also notes that Peter Dutton has been avoiding teal-held inner-city such as Wentworth (once a reliably Liberal hold) and has not even even been to Labor-held marginals such as such as Bennelong in Sydney or Chisholm in Melbourne, suggesting he doesn’t think he can win.
Instead he has concentrated on outer suburbs where, the piece notes, Labor strategists recognise that the party could still be vulnerable over concerns about the cost of living.
Labor flags $32m investment in men’s health
Natasha May
A $32m investment from Labor would see more support for men’s health and help to break down the barriers that often prevent men getting the healthcare they need.
A re-elected Labor government would invest $11.3m in the men’s health charity Movember to provide training to over 60,000 doctors and nurses, as well as to develop a campaign to encourage men to visit the doctor.
The training would be based on Movember’s existing Men in Mind program currently offered to mental health workers. The evidence-based program provides an examination of men’s gender socialisation, as the internalisation of masculine ideals often sees them avoid being open about health problems.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said “this investment by Labor into Movember’s training will mean doctors and nurses have the right tools to support men”.
Labor would also provide $20.7m for grassroots initiatives that support men’s mental health and wellbeing in community settings, including $8.3m to support two years of Men’s Shed Initiatives grants in the community and for the organisation to deliver new health promotion and prevention programs.
The government would also invest $7.4m to Movember to expand the Ahead of the Game program, delivered in partnership with the AFL, which teaches young men in sporting environments to seek help when they need it, as well as $3m for the Plus Paternal Initiative, which helps men prepare for fatherhood.
The Black Dog Institute would also receive $2m to research men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Michelle Terry, the chief executive officer of Movember, said “Australian boys and men are slipping through the cracks of our healthcare system at an alarming rate, and without targeted support, too many are missing out on the care they need”.
Movember welcomes this groundbreaking investment, including the overall lift in funding for our partners in health and the momentum this announcement will build for even greater focus on the health, mental health and wellbeing of Australia’s boys and men.
AEC identifies person behind Wentworth pamphlets
The Australian Electoral Commission says it has identified the person who sent thousands of unauthorised campaign pamphlets threatening to “expose” the independent MP Allegra Spender, the Australian Associated Press reports.
The commission set up an investigation after more than 47,000 flyers without authorisation were distributed in the eastern Sydney electorate of Wentworth.
The pamphlets claim to be “produced by the people of Wentworth, for the people of Wentworth”, but a lack of official authorisation means voters do not know where its information is sourced from – putting the pamphlets in breach of Australia’s main election law.
Following the investigation, the electoral commission said it had identified the person behind the campaign, who has no link to political parties or candidates contesting the seat of Wentworth.
“To date, our investigation has only identified evidence that this individual has acted alone, and the individual concerned has confirmed this is the case,” the commission said last night.
The commission said the person behind the campaign had pledged to not distribute the flyers or any other unauthorised material.
“The AEC will not be providing the name of this person at this time,” it said.
“Voters are reminded to stop and consider the source of all messages relating to the 2025 federal election.”
Once considered a blue-ribbon Liberal seat, Wentworth was taken off the Coalition at the 2022 election by Spender, making it a tightly contested electorate at the May 3 poll.
The pamphlets claimed Spender had “misled the electorate on her positions”.
The independent MP said its contents were “false, misleading and offensive”.
Welcome
Martin Farrer
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.
We have an exclusive story this morning reporting that Indonesia’s ambassador met senior Australian diplomats on Tuesday – and on the same day Anthony Albanese accused Peter Dutton of damaging the bilateral relationship over claims Russia was seeking a military presence in the region.
After spruiking his plans to boost defence spending yesterday, Peter Dutton turns to the problem of domestic violence today as he announces a suite of policies to tackle the scourge. He will say that a Coalition government would criminalise the use of mobile phones to threaten and track partners and create a national register to allow police to share information about violence offenders.
Today Labor is pushing its policies to improve men’s health with a $32m investment boost – more on that soon. And the AEC has identified the person who sent thousands of unauthorised campaign pamphlets threatening to “expose” the independent MP Allegra Spender and “what she stands for”. More on that too coming up.
Labor has outspent the Coalition on television advertising, figures out today reveal, but Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party has spent more than everyone on YouTube, where he has forked out more than $4m. The Gaza war will be a factor in many federal election contests such as Tony Burke’s south-west Sydney seat of Watson where Muslim voters “sick of being ignored” are expected to make their anger felt.
