Mounting dislike of Peter Dutton has sent the coalition’s primary vote plunging to its lowest level in a leading poll as the election looms large.

The coalition’s primary vote has dropped to 31 per cent, down from 33 per cent last week, the latest YouGov poll provided to AAP shows.

Labor’s primary vote is up 0.5 per cent to 33.5 per cent.

The lowest-ever primary vote the coalition had received in YouGov polling is driven by the opposition leader’s unpopularity, director of public data Paul Smith says. 

“The public have clearly made a decision that they don’t want Peter Dutton as prime minister,” he told AAP.

“The coalition is going backwards at a rate of knots.”

The YouGov polling shows Labor leading the coalition by 53.5 per cent to 46.5 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

Labor’s support is higher than its 2022 federal election result of 52.1 per cent, while the coalition’s is 4.7 per cent lower than it achieved at that election.

Anthony Albanese (50 per cent) has also extended his lead over Mr Dutton (35 per cent) as preferred prime minister.

Mr Dutton’s net satisfaction rating dipped to minus 18 from minus 10 last week while Mr Albanese’s was down slightly to minus seven from minus six. 

“Anthony Albanese is for the first time the preferred prime minister amongst all states, amongst women and men and in regional and rural Australia, as well as the capital cities,” Mr Smith said.

A separate poll reinforces the challenge facing Mr Dutton to become prime minister, after he was viewed as the most distrusted politician in the country.

The opposition leader was considered to be 220 per cent more distrustful than Mr Albanese, the Roy Morgan survey shows.

Behind Mr Dutton were Trumpet of Patriots leader Clive Palmer and US President Donald Trump, who had enough respondents nominate him as a distrusted political leader to put him on the list.

YouGov polling shows One Nation could benefit from the slide away from the coalition. 

Pauline Hanson’s party is up 3.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent, the Greens are up one to 14 per cent, others are up slightly to four per cent while Trumpets of Patriots are on two per cent unchanged.

“One Nation are benefiting from the collapse of the coalition primary vote,” Mr Smith said.

“It positions them well to probably have their best result in decades.”

The coalition had a strategy of winning in working-class seats but its now-dumped policy of banning public servants from working from home “completely alienated a large group of voters”, Mr Smith said.

The poll results indicated the largest turnaround and rejection of an opposition since 1993, when then coalition leader John Hewson led prime minister Paul Keating in the polls for two years until “it all changed in the campaign”, he said. 

The YouGov poll of 1500 voters was conducted between April 17 and Tuesday, with a margin of error of 3.3 per cent.

Australians will remember the courage shown by Anzac soldiers at Gallipoli during dawn services, laying of wreaths and marches across the nation.

Friday marks the 110th anniversary of Australian and New Zealand soldiers landing before dawn on Turkish shores on April 25, 1915, alongside British, French and Indian troops.

More than 8000 Australian soldiers died during the unsuccessful campaign to control the Dardanelles Strait.

Dawn services and marches across the nation would honour the enduring contributions of service personnel at Gallipoli and the 110 years since, RSL Australia national president Greg Melick said.

“The Gallipoli campaign was the first major military action involving Australian and New Zealand forces,” he said.

“They held their ground against almost impossible odds for eight months in the ravines and gullies of that rugged battleground, suffering terrible casualties. 

“They fought with endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, and mateship.”

Governor-General Sam Mostyn, whose father served in the army for four decades, will be the most senior Australian representative at a dawn service at Gallipoli Cove.

“As commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force, the daughter of a veteran and a proud Australian, it will be a privilege to commemorate my first Anzac Day as Australia’s Governor-General at the 110th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli,” she said.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend events around the nation including a dawn service  at the Australian War Memorial.

Melbourne’s Anzac Day march starts at 8.30am and Sydney will follow at 9am with the annual parade starting in Martin Place and moving through city streets.

A parade in Brisbane will bring out thousands of people and in Perth a gunfire breakfast at Government House Gardens is expected to host about 2000 people.

The day will turn more festive with rousing roars as two-up, a past time for soldiers on the battlefield, is played at RSLs throughout Australia.

China denies US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the two sides are involved in active negotiations over tariffs, saying any suggestion of progress in this matter was as groundless as “trying to catch the wind”.

China’s comments come after Trump said the final tariff rate on China’s exports would come down “substantially” from the current 145 per cent.

“China’s position is consistent and we are open to consultations and dialogues, but any form of consultations and negotiations must be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and in an equal manner,” commerce ministry spokesman He Yadong said.

“Any claims about the progress of China-US trade negotiations are groundless as trying to catch the wind and have no factual basis.”

Trump had told reporters earlier in the week that “everything’s active” when asked if he was engaging with China, although his treasury secretary had said there were no formal negotiations.

Trump placed tariffs of 145 per cent on imports from China, while China hit back with 125 per cent tariffs on US products.

While Trump has given other countries a 90-day pause on the tariffs, as their leaders pledged to negotiate with the US, China remained the exception.

Instead, Beijing raised its own tariffs and deployed other economic measures in response, while vowing to “fight to the end”.

For example, China restricted exports of rare earth minerals and raised multiple cases against the US at the World Trade Organisation.

China also made it clear that talks should involve the cancellation of all tariffs it faces.

“The unilateral tariff increase measures were initiated by the United States,” spokesman He said.

“If the United States really wants to solve the problem, it should face up to the rational voices of the international community and all parties at home, completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and find ways to resolve differences through equal dialogue.”

Despite the economic measures levelled against China, Trump said he would be “very nice” and not play hardball with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We’re going to live together very happily and ideally work together,” Trump said.

Football Australia is set for a legal showdown with Macarthur FC amid claims soccer’s governing body misled club owners when they applied for entry into the A-League.

Documents filed in the Federal Court claim FA breached consumer law and adopted unfair tactics when expanding Australia’s top-flight competition to 12 teams.

A southwestern Sydney team was originally slated to enter the A-League for the 2019-20 season alongside a club from Melbourne’s western suburbs, Western United.

While Western got off the ground in time, the Macarthur Bulls did not kick a ball until the 2020-21 campaign after its major backer, late billionaire property developer Lang Walker, sold back his club shares.

The remaining owners allege FA gave the green light on the condition the club would receive a TV rights windfall, court documents show.

The owners allege they were told by the governing body’s then-chief operating officer, Mark Falvo, in 2018 they would have to pay more than $10 million to secure an A-League licence. 

The Bulls finally agreed to pay a licence fee of $12 million.

Macarthur would be granted $3.25 million per season in central distributions as part of the club participation agreement, the owners allege.

The Bulls’ business plan, which was accepted by FA and attached to the CPA, was on the basis the club would receive $3.25 million per season. 

The club was also informed there would be a minimum distribution amount of $1.2 million inserted into their CPA.

Spelling out a purported conversation, the owners allege Macarthur owner Sam Krslovic received confirmation of the higher payment during a December 2018 meeting with FA.

“Just to confirm we’ll get the distribution of $3.2 million per season as is related directly to our licence fee of around $12 million,” Krslovic said.

“Yes, you’ll receive the distribution of $3.2 million,” the FA in-house legal counsel allegedly replied.

But months out from entering the league in 2020, Macarthur were told by FA it would not be able to pay the $3.25 million per season. 

FA allegedly said Foxtel, the competition’s then-TV rights holder, was unlikely to extend its broadcast deal and FA was concerned about solvency issues.

The club owners claim FA knew as far back as 2018 that Foxtel was not likely to renew terms, which left the governing body facing a shortfall in revenue.

That awareness is shown through FA’s bid to insert the $1.2 million minimum distribution clause into the CPA, the owners say.

Macarthur’s owners are seeking compensation for the $9.6 million they’ve had to fork out on top of a $5 million loan to keep the cash-strapped club afloat.

The owners also seek damages and the potential voiding of elements of their contract with FA.

The matter is due to be heard in court for the first time on Tuesday.

“We’ve been trying to address this amicably for the best part of five years and we are sad that we have been forced to take this step,” said Krslovic, who is Macarthur FC’s CEO. 

FA is yet to file a defence. It declined to comment when contacted by AAP.

Orphaned as a child and raised by nuns, Michael McCormack’s mother will be smiling down on him when he attends the Pope’s funeral.

The Nationals MP for Riverina is one of four Australians selected to represent the country in the Vatican City as Pope Francis is laid to rest on Saturday.

While humbled by the invitation, his first thought was not for himself but his late mother Eileen, who was raised by the Presentation Sisters of Wagga Wagga after losing both her parents by the time she was nine years old.

“She would be so, so thrilled that her son was given this unique opportunity,” Mr McCormack told AAP.

“Mum lived a life of faith – she was more Catholic than most.

“And seriously, if she’s not in heaven, then heaven probably doesn’t exist.”

Catholicism helped Ms McCormack navigate her childhood grief and soon became an important part of her life as she frequently attended mass and took communion.

Archbishop Francis Carroll, in particular, helped marry her and her husband George, buried both members of the couple and would serve as the inspiration for the National MP’s middle name.

“I was quite chuffed when the Pope took on Francis as his name,” Mr McCormack said.

Mr McCormack was baptised and married at Saint Michael’s Cathedral in Wagga Wagga, and continues to live by his mother’s ways, praying every day and regularly attending church.

While he doesn’t “wear his religion on his sleeve” as he wants to acknowledge all perspectives, he believes Catholicism and the late Pope have offered lessons for him as a member of parliament.

“Sometimes people will come to you with their issues – perhaps at the end of a very long day … but you have to stop, take stock of what they’re saying and try to help them,” Mr McCormack said.

“Offering hope is something that I think the Pope did – obviously on a much wider scale – but I think you’ve just got to be there for people.

“It doesn’t matter whether you go to church or not, it doesn’t matter whether you believe or not – just so long as you’re a good human and I think that’s what Pope Francis instilled in his work.”

Cabinet minister Don Farrell, Governor-General Sam Mostyn and Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See Keith Pitt will also head to Rome to attend Pope Francis’s funeral, leaving behind domestic campaign antics ahead of the May 3 election.

“The things that unite us as Australians (are) far greater than those which divide us,” Mr McCormack said.

“Every parliamentarian is in the parliament to try and make the community a better place, and it’s not a religious thing, it’s just a human thing to want to do the best by other people.”

Australia’s top Catholic and Cardinal Mykola Bychok will also attend the funeral in an official capacity and is expected to be involved in the conclave to select Pope Francis’s successor.

Australians across the country, including the prime minister and opposition leader, have attended local services in memory of the pontiff, who died aged 88 on Monday.

About one in five Australians, or 5.1 million people, identified as Catholic in the 2021 Census.

Voters are getting a better idea of what the coalition would keep and cut if it wins the federal election, but fuzziness over the details is not helping Peter Dutton’s cause.

The opposition leader was forced to clean up two more campaign missteps on Thursday, as opinion polls show his chances of forming government becoming ever slimmer.

Mr Dutton on Monday said he would not repeal a fringe benefits tax break for electric vehicles, which has blown out in cost due to its unexpected popularity.

But late on Wednesday the coalition revealed they would axe the incentive, putting their leader’s earlier statement down to him mishearing the question.

Mr Dutton’s comments were the result of a misunderstanding and that he thought he was being asked about Labor’s vehicle emissions standards, the party said.

“What we said was that there’s no change to the policy. We’ve been very clear,” Mr Dutton told reporters on Thursday.

A cornerstone of the coalition’s campaign, which has featured frequent petrol station visits by Mr Dutton, has been its pledge to temporarily cut the fuel excise.

But the coalition has struggled to cut through with its messaging, with opinion polls falling away from the coalition over the course of the campaign.

Mr Dutton was also forced to clean up comments from immigration spokesman Dan Tehan, who earlier on Thursday confused the coalition’s permanent migration target with skilled visa numbers.

“We’re going to reduce the skill migration level, and we’ll take that down from 185,000 to 140,000,” Mr Tehan told ABC Radio.

“The program will continue at a reduced rate of 150,000 in years two and three, and then 160,000.”

But the coalition has not released its target to reduce skilled migration visas, which are currently limited at 132,200 per year.

Mr Dutton said he hadn’t seen Mr Tehan’s comments but reiterated his party was not seeking to increase the skilled visa intake, but instead was planning to cut permanent migration by 25 per cent.

The coalition was previously forced to backtrack on an unpopular policy of forcing public servants back to the office.

Questions also remain over the coalition’s promise to reduce the federal public service by 41,000.

Mr Dutton confirmed the cuts would come entirely from Canberra-based jobs, but with fewer than 70,000 roles in the nation’s capital and the coalition promising not to touch frontline services it’s unclear how the figure could be achieved.

ACT senator David Pocock said the coalition was being reckless with the livelihoods of public servants and the territory economy.

“The numbers don’t even stack up, you can’t cut 41,000 public servants from Canberra without touching defence, intelligence and frontline services, and still run the country effectively, it simply isn’t possible,” he told AAP.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing either for Anthony Albanese.

Mr Albanese had to grin and bear a blistering broadside from editor of the West Australian newspaper, Chris Dore, at a breakfast event in Perth, who accused him of conducting a masterclass in spin.

He was also forced to defend comments he previously made denying that he fell off the stage at an event earlier in the campaign.

As the push for The Lodge enters its home stretch, the mudslinging from party leaders has intensified as Mr Dutton ramps up accusations that Mr Albanese is a liar.

That approach is only likely to increase in the final days before the May 3 election as it is one of the most powerful tools parties have left in their arsenals to swing support, one expert says.

La Trobe University politics professor Andrea Carson said negative attacks were frequently seen in the last stages of a campaign.

“Studies show that negative campaigning works to some extent as it builds on people’s fears and fear is a powerful emotion to initiate action,” she said.

Student debt handbacks and electric vehicle subsidies will be on the chopping block if the coalition wins the federal election.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Monday said he would not repeal a fringe benefits tax break for EVs, which has blown out in cost due to its unexpected popularity.

But late on Wednesday the coalition revealed they would axe the incentive, putting their leader’s earlier statement down to him mishearing the question.

Liberal campaign spokesman James Paterson said Mr Dutton’s comments were the result of a misunderstanding.

“From the very beginning, we’ve been highly critical of this policy,” he told Sky News on Thursday.

“We don’t think it’s a good use of taxpayers’ money to subsidise people who can afford to buy a brand new electric vehicle and have everyone else pay for that.”

A cornerstone of the coalition’s campaign, which has featured frequent petrol station visits by Mr Dutton, has been its pledge to temporarily cut fuel excise.

Labor’s $16 billion promise to cut student debt by 20 per cent for more than three million Australians would also be scrapped, setting out another clear point of difference between the major parties.

For a student with the average HECS debt of $27,600, they would see their bill reduced by more than $5500.

The government has argued the measure was aimed at helping students deal with cost-of-living pressures and fixing generational unfairness.

But shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said it was unfair for students who had already paid off their student debt and for tradies, who got nothing from the policy.

As the campaign enters its home stretch, the mudslinging from party leaders has intensified.

That approach is only likely to increase in the final days before the May 3 election as it is one of the most powerful tools parties have left in their arsenals to swing support, one expert says.

Lagging in the polls before campaigns pause for Anzac Day, Mr Dutton has ramped up personal attacks on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, labelling him “weak” and a frequent liar.

The prime minister has also gone on the offensive, warning the coalition will unleash secret cuts if it wins government.

La Trobe University politics professor Andrea Carson said attacks were frequently seen in the last stages of a campaign.

“Studies show that negative campaigning works to some extent as it builds on people’s fears and fear is a powerful emotion to initiate action,” she told AAP.

“Campaign coverage becomes more negative, perhaps reflecting the campaign, the closer we get to polling day.”

While there could be many aspects to negative campaigning, Prof Carson said it traditionally centred on law and order and migration issues – areas the coalition frequently targeted when attacking Labor.

Labor’s negative messaging that the coalition will need to cut health and education to fund its nuclear plan relies on cherry-picking facts, but has been effective, according to work done by polling company Redbridge.

“Whilst their positive messaging has had some limited impact on their vote, their negative campaign on Dutton and the Liberal Party has been brutally efficient and effective,” director Tony Barry said.

Mr Albanese brushed aside concerns negative campaigning during the election would disillusion voters.

“This is an opposition that, if they have any policies, they’re either taken from overseas or they are taken from the reversal of reforms that we have put in place,” he said.

Mudslinging from party leaders has intensified on the hustings as the federal election campaign enters its home stretch.

And experts say it’s only set to increase as one of the most powerful tools parties have left in their arsenal to swing support.

Lagging in the polls before campaigns pause for Anzac Day, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has ramped up personal attacks on Anthony Albanese, labelling him “weak” and a frequent liar.

The prime minister has also gone on the offensive, warning the coalition will unleash secret cuts if it wins government.

Politics professor at La Trobe University Andrea Carson said attacks were frequently seen in the last stages of a campaign.

“Studies show that negative campaigning works to some extent as it builds on people’s fears, and fear is a powerful emotion to initiate action,” she told AAP.

“Campaign coverage becomes more negative, perhaps reflecting the campaign, the closer we get to polling day.”

While there could be many aspects to negative campaigning, Prof Carson said it traditionally centred on law and order and migration issues – areas the coalition frequently targeted when attacking Labor.

“How much they move votes is hard to measure, but politicians and parties enact these messages because they think it works,” she said.

“There is some evidence that negative campaigns play well to the base and reinforce weak partisan voters’ support, rather than getting people to change political teams.”

Mr Albanese brushed aside concerns negative campaigning during the election would disillusion voters.

“What we’re doing is putting forward serious policies,” he told reporters in Collie, south of Perth.

“It’s right there. You can touch it, you can see it, and people will have their homes powered by it.

“This is an opposition that, if they have any policies, they’re either taken from overseas or they are taken from the reversal of reforms that we have put in place.”

Cost-of-living pressures have led to a surge in people fronting food charities, including double-income families, with many turned away as providers struggle to meet demand.

A survey of hundreds of free food providers in the OzHarvest network found a 54 per cent increase in people being turned away from charity doors, with 77 per cent of charities reporting a rise in people seeking food in the past year.

Almost a third of people asking for help were doing so for the first time in their lives and many were double-income earners, OzHarvest founder Ronnie Khan said.

“The scariest thing for us as a country is that this is a hidden crisis and we now have people who are working who cannot afford to finish the month and food becomes the only thing they can control,” she told AAP.

The outgoings they cannot control include power bills, mortgage and rent payments, fuel for the car, health fees and phone and internet costs.

When they walked into a supermarket, they could make a choice to cut food costs but that led to less nutritional value for a family when they could not afford fresh fruit and vegetables and meat, Ms Khan said.

“Kids are coming to school without breakfast,” she said.

“If you have not got food in your belly, you cannot concentrate, so it’s a vicious cycle.”

That led to children not learning, having behavioural problems and being kicked out of the classroom, Ms Khan said.

She said there was a “new demographic of working poor” who never needed food before.

“The shame and the guilt and the lack of dignity about having to front up at an organisation that supports feeding is immeasurable.” 

OzHarvest is Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, collecting surplus food from more than 2600 businesses, including supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, hotels, retailers, airports and retail food outlets.

Every week, more than 300 tonnes of food are saved from going to landfill and delivered to about 1550 charitable agencies.

OzHarvest is urging the government to appoint a minister to co-ordinate food security and food waste solutions and provide ongoing funding for essential food relief, along with increased welfare payments and housing affordability measures.

Josh Plumb, executive manager of Nexus Care, part of the OzHarvest distribution network, says his charity in north Brisbane has in the past five years seen a steady increase in demand and a 30 per cent rise in the past two years.

The corresponding food supply pressures meant the charity had to limit its catchment area about a year ago so it could meet demand locally, as well as reduce the size of its food parcels, he told AAP.

“More than ever before, we are hearing people say ‘I never thought I needed to access a place like this’,” Mr Plumb said.

“Single-parent families are definitely a cohort that’s large through our doors.”

But there was also a notable increase in the number of young double-parent families fronting up seeking food aid, Mr Plumb said.

OzHarvest’s yearly survey canvassed about 1550 charities in its network, with 874 responding.

The World Economic Forum is investigating allegations of financial and ethical misconduct involving its founder and long-time chairman, Klaus Schwab, as well as his wife, the organisation has confirmed. 

The move follows a report on Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal, which detailed accusations concerning potential conflicts of interest and mismanagement. 

The WEF stated on Wednesday that it had received a whistleblower letter outlining the allegations and has launched an internal review in co-operation with external legal counsel. 

“While the Forum takes these allegations seriously, it emphasises that they remain unproven, and will await the outcome of the investigation to comment further,” a statement said. 

A spokesperson for Klaus and Hilde Schwab denied the accusations in comments to the Wall Street Journal, rejecting claims that the couple blurred lines between personal and WEF business. 

Best known for its high-profile annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the WEF convenes global political and business leaders, academics and civil society figures to discuss pressing international issues. 

The gathering in the Swiss ski resort town has become one of the most prominent platforms for global dialogue since the WEF’s launch by Schwab in 1971. 

Schwab, a German-born economist, resigned as executive chairman last year. 

It was announced on Monday that he would also depart his role as chairman of the forum’s Board of Trustees, with the organisation quoting him as saying he had chosen to step down “at the beginning of my 88th year”.

No further details were provided.