A test that assesses certain particles in the blood could predict a person’s risk of developing heart disease more accurately than measuring cholesterol, according to a study.

Switching the focus on detecting the level of proteins associated with so-called “bad cholesterol” could “potentially save lives”, researchers said.

Cholesterol, a fatty substance mostly made by the liver and found in certain foods, is essential for maintaining healthy cells, but having too much in the blood can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

In the UK, if doctors suspect a person is at risk of heart disease, they will usually check the patient’s blood pressure and family history, as well as taking a blood sample to measure the amount of different types of fat in the blood, including cholesterol.

However, researchers in Sweden and the US suggest measuring levels of lipoproteins – particles comprising protein and fat that transport cholesterol and other fats in the bloodstream – may be a more accurate risk predictor.

There are four main classes of lipoprotein, three of which have a special protein on their surface called apolipoprotein B (apoB).

They are known as “bad cholesterol” as they can deposit cholesterol in the walls of blood vessels when found in large numbers.

The fourth class helps remove excess cholesterol from the blood and transports it back to the liver, often known as “good cholesterol”.

Jakub Morze, postdoctoral fellow at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, said: “This is the largest study of its kind to date and the results show for the first time the relative importance of the three major families of lipoprotein for the potential risk of heart disease.

“It was previously unclear if two patients with the same total level of ‘bad cholesterol’, but that differ in their carrier characteristics – lipoprotein type, size, lipid content – have the same risk of heart disease.”

For the study, academics analysed blood samples from 207,368 people in the UK Biobank with no history of heart disease.

“We found that apoB is the best marker when testing for risk of heart disease,” Mr Morze added.

“Since apoB indicates the total number of ‘bad cholesterol’ particles, measuring it offers a more accurate test than standard cholesterol measures.

“That does not mean conventional tests are ineffective; they generally perform well. However, in about one in 12 patients, standard cholesterol tests may underestimate heart disease risk, which is important to consider, since 20 – 40 per cent of all first-time occurrences of CVD are fatal.

“By switching to apoB testing, we can improve that accuracy and potentially save lives.”

Clemens Wittenbecher, assistant professor of precision medicine and diagnostics at Chalmers University of Technology, said the results, published in the European Heart Journal, show that “apoB particle count could eventually replace the standard blood cholesterol test”.

He added that “lipoprotein(a) also needs to be tested for to get a better picture of lipid-related CVD risk”.

“The blood test for these two markers is commercially available now and would be cheap and easy enough to implement,” Prof Wittenbecher said.

Peter Dutton is running out of runway in his bid to win the election, but a rise in protest votes against major parties could see his prime ministerial aspirations get off the ground.

With four days until polls close, the opposition leader is seeking to defy the national polls in a come-from-behind victory to become Australia’s 32nd prime minister, as he blitzes marginal seats.

While Mr Dutton is facing a considerable challenge to unseat Anthony Albanese, former media chief to Scott Morrison turned consultant Andrew Carswell said a path to victory was still possible for the coalition.

“The path is narrow, though it’s narrowing by the day, but I think the best most can do is ignore the established polls out there at the moment, because what we’ll see on Saturday will be out of step,” he told AAP.

“While Labor is very much the short odds to be in minority government, it will be closer than people think.”

A Roy Morgan poll on Monday showed Labor remained on track to form a majority government, leading 53 to 47 per cent on a two-party preferred basis despite a slight improvement in the coalition’s position.

Despite Mr Carswell saying a majority government is “awfully difficult” for the coalition to achieve, a rise in support for right-wing minor parties could flow back to the opposition.

“The preferences that come from One Nation, Trumpet of Patriots and other centre-right minor parties to the coalition is dramatically higher than in 2022,” he said.

“One Nation is a party of protest, they preference away, generally speaking, from incumbent governments, and that will bring in to play some seats that will be a surprise for people on election night.”

The latest YouGov poll showed One Nation had a 10.5 per cent primary vote, while Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots stood at two per cent.

The result for Pauline Hanson’s party is more than double the result it got at the 2022 poll, when it had just under five per cent of the primary vote.

In many electorates, coalition how-to-vote cards have urged supporters to put One Nation second on their ballot.

Mr Carswell said Victoria was still looking strong for the coalition, particularly in outer-suburban seats where cost-of-living pressures were hitting hardest.

“The further from the CBD, the better – there is the chance of some surprises on election night in outer suburban seats,” he said.

Mr Albanese will begin Tuesday campaigning in Brisbane, where Labor is hoping to gain ground, while Mr Dutton will be starting the day in Sydney.

Global equity markets held at their best levels in over three weeks on Monday, reflecting some hopes that the worst of tariff pain is over, but confusion over US trade policy lingered and trapped the dollar.

European shares firmed and Asia markets made fractional gains at the start of an earnings-heavy week that also sees the release of key US jobs data and is book-ended with elections in Canada and Australia. US President Donald Trump looms large in both.

While Trump has claimed progress is being made on trade with China, and many other countries, evidence is lacking. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent failed on Sunday to back Trump’s assertion that tariff talks with China were underway.

“The fact that we are going through a de-escalation in trade tensions doesn’t mean that we won’t still get a growth slowdown,” said Mike Kelly, global head of multi-asset at PineBridge Investments.

The often confusing rollout of tariffs is expected to inflict lasting damage on the global economy as uncertainty weighs on business and consumer confidence, slowing investment and spending.

“Uncertainty is not just about a one-off event but its duration,” Kelly added.

MSCI’s world stock index hovered near its highest levels since April 3, the day after Trump unveiled his reciprocal tariffs that roiled markets.

Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.4 per cent, while Chinese blue chips were little changed as officials stuck with their economic growth projections, despite the drag from tariffs.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was nearly unchanged at 21,971.96, while the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.2 per cent to 3,288.41.

European shares rallied 0.6 per cent, building on two straight weeks of gains, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq stock futures pared earlier falls. The S&P has bounced almost 12 per cent from an April 8 trough, but remains 10 per cent below its peak.

Corporate earnings have been generally supportive, with gains of more than nine per cent, though BofA noted 64 per cent of companies had beaten earnings per share (EPS) guidance, compared to 71 per cent the previous quarter.

“Despite having played second fiddle to geopolitics of late, the US earnings season is moving along well and is on track for its seventh consecutive quarter of positive earnings growth,” said Rory McPherson, chief investment officer at Wren Sterling.

About 180 S&P 500 companies representing over 40 per cent of the index’s market value report this week, including mega-caps Apple , Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms .

In currency markets, the dollar struggled to make headway as trade wariness lingered.

It was down about 0.2 per cent at 143.47 yen, little changed against the euro at 1.1356, while sterling rallied 0.25 per cent to $US1.3344 .

The greenback is also down more than four per cent on both the euro and the yen in April, though bounced at the end of last week on a conciliatory shift in the tone of US-China relations.

A solid US jobs report on Friday could aid the dollar’s bounce if it dampens Federal Reserve rate cut expectations, analysts said.

Money markets imply a roughly 65 per cent chance of a rate cut in June and 85 basis points of easing by year-end.

“With the market already pricing in around 125 bps of easing into next year, taking the Fed Funds policy rate to neutral near 3.25 per cent, the next big story for the dollar will probably be whether US data is weak enough to merit Fed policy being priced below neutral,” ING’s global head of markets, Chris Turner, said.

Canada’s dollar was a touch softer at 1.3869 per US dollar. Canadians go to the polls on Monday after an election campaign in which Trump’s tariffs and musings about annexing Canada became the central issue.

Treasuries have also steadied in the wake of Trump’s assurance he would not try to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, leaving 10-year yields at around 4.25 per cent compared to the April top of 4.592 per cent.

Former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh, with whom Trump is reported to have discussed firing Powell and installing him in his place, on Friday unleashed a barrage of criticism of the Fed and argued for fundamental changes to how it operates.

A tentative improvement in risk sentiment saw gold slip 0.9 per cent to $US3,290 an ounce, from its all-time peak of $US3,500.

Oil prices were stable as investors weighed up uncertainty over trade talks between the US and China, clouding the outlook for global growth and fuel demand, as well as the prospect of OPEC+ raising supply.

Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were both down about 0.5 per cent each, with Brent crude trading at around $US66.50 a barrel.

with AP

A major city council is looking at subsidising “granny trolleys” for vulnerable residents to reduce the number of shopping trolleys dumped in the area.

Sydney’s Liverpool City Council said it was looking at providing the two-wheel canvas frame trolleys in a move “it hopes will drastically reduce the dumping of supermarket-owned trolleys across the city”.

The council in the city’s west on Monday said it had impounded nearly 1200 shopping trolleys in the past two months, prompting the plan to supply up to 500 so-called granny trolleys.

“While the law places responsibility for trolleys fair and square at the supermarkets, Council is left with the problem and so Council has come up with a solution,” Deputy Mayor Peter Harle said in a statement.

“In some ways it’s an old-fashioned solution to a modern problem. Years ago, every home had its own shopping trolley and by going ‘back to the future’ we can probably find a commonsense solution to a massive problem.”

Griffith University marketing professor Sharyn Rundle-Thiele said the initiative could have merit in the area and other cities, but suggested more work was needed to determine why trolleys were being dumped.

It was unclear whether those dumping trolleys were children “using the trolleys for joyriding, or is it people who actually need to take a lot of groceries somewhere and so just take the trolleys for a walk”, she said.

“It could be that we’re moving towards the wrong people with the wrong ideas,” the academic said.

Supermarket giant Woolworths, when asked if believed the plan had merits, said most of its customers did the “right thing” and returned shopping trolleys.

“Abandoned trolleys can be a nuisance and that’s why we invest millions in collection services and have additional measures in place which feature a locking mechanism to help mitigate their impact in the community,” a Woolworths spokesperson said in a statement.

Supermarkets have previously trialled coin-locked shopping trolleys in a bid to stop trolley dumping in waterways, parks and on footpaths, but the initiatives have faced backlash from shoppers.

Hiking international student visa fees and trimming consultant spending are Labor’s plan to keep the budget in shape while splashing out on election sweeteners.

An assurance by Treasurer Jim Chalmers that more than $7 billion in savings would offset the cost of his party’s election promises follows a stern warning from ratings agency S&P Global.

Australia risks losing its coveted AAA credit rating, the agency said, as spending soars from ill-disciplined state governments and federal election promises.

Labor’s pre-election costings claim a crackdown on the use of consultants and labour hire in favour of public servants would save the public purse $6.4 billion.

An extra $760 million would come from bumping up international student visa fees to $2000 from $1600.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the fee hike amounted to a “small uplift”.

“We think that’s a sensible measure that really prices the value of coming here and studying in Australia,” she told reporters in Brisbane.

Dr Chalmers said the savings and extra revenue would leave public finances roughly $1 billion better off over four years compared to the pre-election economic and fiscal outlook.

“We will finish this election campaign with the budget in a stronger position than at the start of the election campaign,” he told reporters on Monday.

He urged Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to show his hand on secret cuts to pay for nuclear reactors.

“The risk to our AAA credit rating is Peter Dutton and the coalition.”

Hours before Labor revealed its costings, S&P alerted the major parties to the dangers of promising higher spending at the same time as eroding the Commonwealth’s revenue base.

“The (federal) budget is already regressing to moderate deficits as public spending hits post-war highs, global trade tensions intensify, and growth slows,” the ratings agency said in the report.

“How the elected government funds its campaign pledges and rising spending will be crucial for maintaining the rating.”

Credit ratings assess a government’s ability to service debt, with a score of AAA denoting the lowest risk.

Losing the top rating would make government borrowing costs more expensive.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said coalition costings would be released in coming days.

A better budget position, lower taxes and a stronger economy could be expected under a Dutton government, he promised.

“If we continue in this way for another three years, S&P has said, that our credit rating is at risk, here’s the price you pay for that,” Mr Taylor told Sky News on Monday.

The coalition has pledged to cut 41,000 positions from the government workforce to lower costs, in contrast to Labor’s strategy to trim “expensive” external contractor and consultant spend.

Australian Catholics, including major political leaders, have joined millions overseas to farewell and reflect on the hope, mercy, and forgiveness embodied by Pope Francis.

Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli led hundreds of mourners for the Solemn Pontifical Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne on Monday.

The mass followed weekend services held across the nation, including at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta and St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Adelaide.

They are the first local services following the Pope’s funeral at the Vatican on Saturday, attended by 250,000 people and watched online by hundreds of millions.

Speaking at the Melbourne service, Archbishop Comensoli described Pope Francis as a person of “mercy”.

“If there was ever a pope that proclaimed, lived, and embodied God’s mercy, it was Francis,” he said.

“Not just in word but in action. He reached out to the poor, the excluded, the wounded. He taught us not to judge but to accompany.”

The mass was attended by hundreds including Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. 

Among the attendees was Melbourne woman Virginia, who hoped the church could continue to follow in the steps of the late Pope.

“Pope Francis is a symbol of what we need in the world: peace, simplicity, humility, and not being judgmental. Just learning how to accept and love each other,” she told AAP. 

“The world is in such a mess. Pope Francis has opened some doors which need to be kept open and widened as well. He’s taken a really big step in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Gabriel told AAP it was important to take time out of his day to farewell the Pope and that staying to pray held deep meaning for him.

For 20-year-old Anita Cabric, the prospect of electing a new Pope felt challenging, but she was optimistic. 

“It will be tough to follow the last Pope, but I’m hopeful,” she told AAP. 

Maeve Heaney, director of the Xavier Centre of Theology at the Australian Catholic University, was among those who attended the service in Rome.

She said it was a coincidence that she was there after she originally travelled to Rome for a symposium.

Associate Professor Heaney, who had met Pope Francis on three occasions, paid her respects as he lay in state in the days before his funeral. 

“The days before the funeral have been very intense but I have a feeling it will be more tranquil as we move into a period of mourning,” she told AAP.

Following the mourning period, cardinals will gather in Rome for a conclave to elect the new Pope, a process expected to start in 10 days.

Prof Heaney hoped the new Pope would continue Francis’s legacy of synodality. 

“For me, it’s also an important point about bringing more women into leadership positions,” she said.

“I want to trust that (the voting cardinals) will sit down and think carefully about what the church needs today and choose someone who will continue to bring it forward.”

Labor will deliver a billion-dollar improvement in the budget bottom line, the treasurer says, despite unveiling a raft of election sweeteners.

Jim Chalmers said the cost of Labor’s election promises would be offset by more than $7 billion in savings, meaning the budget deficit would be reduced by $1 billion over the next four years compared to pre-election forecasts.

A crackdown on the use of consultants and labour hire in favour of public servants will save $6.4 billion, he said, offsetting the price of Labor’s election policies such as a tax cut and more money for health services.

Dr Chalmers said the government would also save $740 million from increasing application charges for student visas to $2000 from July.

“These costings show that we are managing the budget and the economy in a responsible and a considered and a methodical way,” he told reporters in Brisbane on Monday.

“We’ve made it very clear what our costs are and how we will pay for the commitments that we have made in this election campaign.”

The savings from reducing consultant spending in favour of relying on the public service come as the coalition pledges to cut 41,000 positions from the government workforce.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said coalition costings would be released “in due course”.

Not knowing the price of a carton of eggs could fry Peter Dutton’s election chances as he denies being out of touch with voters on cost-of-living concerns.

The opposition leader and prime minister were both asked to name the price of a dozen eggs during a final leaders’ debate as rising prices put pressure on household budgets.

While the typical cost is about $8 for a carton, Mr Dutton offered up $4 as his response during the Sunday night debate, but on Monday he evaded questions on whether his response on egg prices meant he was not across electorate concerns.

“The point that most families have made to us is that the cost of everything has gone up,” he told reporters from the NSW Hunter region.

“It’s not just food and it’s not just electricity, it’s insurance. It’s the cost of everything under this government that continues to rise.”

Both leaders had been looking to capitalise on their performance in the fourth and final debate as they started a blitz of marginal seats.

Mr Dutton began the day campaigning in Paterson near Newcastle, while Anthony Albanese hit the bellwether seat of Robertson on the Central Coast before continuing his tour of marginal Sydney electorates.

The prime minister said the cost-of-living response in the debate showed Mr Dutton was not across detail.

“Peter Dutton is putting all his eggs in one basket and he has no idea what the cost is,” Mr Albanese said.

“People are struggling to find eggs on the supermarket shelf. And we know that inflation is a real issue, the cost of living.”

A panel of 60 undecided voters gave the contest to Mr Albanese, with half backing the prime minister, a quarter in favour of Mr Dutton and the remainder still unconvinced by either man.

Polls have been pointing towards a Labor victory, with the latest Newspoll showing the government leading the coalition 52 per cent to 48 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.

As major parties use the final week of the election campaign to emphasise key differences, a unity ticket was reached on addressing the scourge of domestic violence.

Labor and the coalition both pledged to spend $20 million to set up a women and children’s trauma recovery centre, which would provide crisis accommodation for those fleeing domestic violence.

The matching pledges came a day after rallies were held in the area against gendered violence, following the alleged murder of 19-year-old Audrey Griffin at the hands of a stranger while on a night out.

Mr Albanese said more was needed to be done to stamp out domestic violence after the killing of 24 women in Australia so far in the year.

“We are not doing well enough as a society, this is a whole-of-society problem,” he said.

Making his funding pledge just minutes after the prime minister’s event, Mr Dutton said the spending commitment would provide much-needed support in the area.

“A government I lead will be focused on delivering real change so that families, women and children are safer and we work toward reducing the impact of family and domestic violence,” he said.

Mr Albanese also offered condolences to the family of Ms Griffin, calling her death “tragic and horrific”.

The funding for crisis support from domestic violence comes as YouGov polling showed female voters were more likely to back Labor.

The polling showed 31 per cent of women would give their primary vote to Labor, compared to 28 per cent for the coalition.

With just five days before election day, 2.39 million people have already cast their ballot at a pre-poll centre, representing about 13 per cent of all electors.

Asian share markets and the dollar made a cautious start on Monday as confusion over US trade policy showed little sign of easing, in a week packed with major economic data and mega-tech earnings.

While US President Donald Trump has claimed progress is being made on trade with China, and many other countries, actual evidence is lacking. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent failed on Sunday to back Trump’s assertion that tariff talks with China were under way. 

“The uncertainty itself is at least as damaging as the tariffs themselves, hurting the US economy at least as much as the rest of the world,” said Christian Keller, head of economics research at Barclays.

“Even if the ongoing earnings season still shows robust numbers, many companies will likely prepare to hunker down until visibility improves,” he warned. 

“This makes a recession increasingly likely.”

Early action in markets was light, with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edging up 0.1 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.9 per cent, while South Korea firmed 0.2 per cent.

EUROSTOXX 50 futures added 0.3 per cent, while FTSE futures and DAX futures both rose 0.2 per cent.

Going the other way, S&P 500 futures dipped 0.4 per cent in early trade, while Nasdaq futures eased 0.5 per cent. The S&P has bounced almost 12 per cent from the April 8 trough, but remains 10 per cent below its peak.

Corporate earnings have been generally supportive, with gains of more than 9.0 per cent, though BofA noted 64 per cent of companies had beat on EPS compared to 71 per cent the previous quarter.

About 180 S&P 500 companies representing over 40 per cent of the index’s market value report this week, including mega-caps Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms.

The week is also packed with economic news including US employment, gross domestic product and core inflation.

Payrolls are seen rising 135,000 and inflation is expected to ease, but there is much more uncertainty about GDP given a surge in gold imports will bias the headline number lower. The median forecast is for a meagre 0.4 per cent annualised growth, but the Atlanta Fed GDPNow measure has it at -0.4 per cent excluding gold.

The jobs number is the more timely release and should help refine market wagers on Federal Reserve policy, with futures currently implying a 64 per cent chance of a rate cut in June and 85 basis points of easing by year-end.

“We expect another solid non-farm payrolls figure, pushing back against expectations that the Fed will ease policy in June,” said Jonas Goltermann, deputy chief markets economist at Capital Economics.

If correct, that would aid the dollar’s bounce from recent three-year lows, he added.

“But the Trump administration’s unconventional approach across a range of policy areas will probably cause some longer-lasting damage to confidence in the US as a safe haven,” he warned. “The greenback is still hostage to the administration’s whims.”

The dollar index was steady at 99.695, above last week’s low of 97.923, while the euro held at $US1.1350 ($A1.7762) and short of its recent top at $US1.15783 ($A1.81193).

Consumer price data for Germany and the euro zone due this week are expected to show a further dip in headline inflation, adding to expectations the European Central Bank will cut rates again at its June meeting.

The Bank of Japan meets this week and is considered certain to hold rates at 0.5 per cent, given the economic and trade uncertainty caused by US tariffs argues against another hike.

The dollar has edged up to 143.65 yen, from last week’s seven-month low of 139.89, but remains just over 4.0 per cent lower for April so far.

Treasuries have also steadied in the wake of Trump’s assurance he would not try and fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, leaving 10-year yields at 4.235 per cent compared to the April top of 4.592 per cent.

The tentative improvement in risk sentiment saw gold ease back to $US3,307 ($A5,175) an ounce, from its all-time peak of $US3,500 ($A5,477).

Oil prices made a quiet start, having been pressured in recent weeks by worries of a global economic slowdown and plans for increased supply from OPEC.

Brent rose 13 cents to $US66.98 ($A104.82) a barrel, while US crude added seven cents to $US63.09 ($A98.73) per barrel.

Peter Dutton has been accused by Labor of being too “aggro” to become prime minister, after the coalition leader clashed with Anthony Albanese in the final debate of the election campaign.

The prime minister and opposition leader went head-to-head over energy, housing and dealing with US President Donald Trump in a wide-ranging fourth and final leaders’ debate last night before the May 3 election.

Senior ministers were quick out of the blocks after the debate to accuse Mr Dutton of being overly aggressive as they sought to paint the opposition leader as too risky to lead Australia in uncertain times.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher accused him of having “a fair bit of aggro”, while Education Minister Jason Clare said he had anger-management issues and was too negative.

“What you saw from Peter Dutton last night was the optimism of an undertaker,” Mr Clare told ABC TV on Monday.

“Australians want more from their leaders than that, they want hope.”

Labor has sharpened its attack on Mr Dutton’s character as it compares him with Mr Trump as the opposition’s campaign hit a literal bump at the start of the final campaign week.

The Liberals’ election media bus was temporarily beached on a median strip in Sydney before planks of wood were employed to help the stranded vehicle.

While Labor’s campaign – and bus – pressed ahead on Monday, Mr Albanese didn’t escape a revved-up attack against his Indigenous policies.

Two days after far-right agitators heckled a Welcome to Country ceremony at an Anzac Day dawn service, Mr Dutton condemned the interruptions but said there was “a sense across the community that (the ceremony) is overdone”.

Mr Albanese said the Welcome to Country was a matter of respect, but conceded the voice to parliament was “gone” from his agenda after the failed referendum and another way towards reconciliation had to be found.

Coalition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said the ceremonies were appropriate at significant events, but she added: “When it becomes performative, I think it loses its meaning.”

It wasn’t clear if Labor was still committed to treaty and truth-telling, the two remaining parts of the Uluru statement after the voice, coalition campaign spokesman James Paterson said.

He added it was “bizarre” the prime minister contended during the debate that he wasn’t sure if Mr Trump had a mobile phone when asked if he texted the US president.

“Does he seriously believe that or is this just another desperate attempt to avoid answering questions?” Senator Paterson said.

Both the prime minister and Mr Dutton agreed the US could still be trusted on matters of national security, but they differed on their rhetoric towards China.

The opposition leader said the biggest concern for Australia’s defence and intelligence agencies was “the communist party of China” while Mr Albanese was more restrained.

He acknowledged China’s efforts to grow its influence in the region as well as its closely-intertwined trading relationship with Australia.

A panel of 60 undecided voters gave the contest to Mr Albanese, with half backing the prime minister, a quarter in favour of Mr Dutton and the remainder still unconvinced by either man.

Almost 2.4 million Australians had already voted at pre-polling centres before Monday, while a similar number are registered to lodge postal votes.

Polls have been pointing towards a Labor victory, with the latest Newspoll showing the government leading the coalition 52 per cent to 48 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.