Australians have recalled Pope Francis’s profound love for the poor, diverse people and all of humanity as millions mourn the pontiff’s passing.

His death, on Monday after a recent serious battle with double pneumonia, was marked by tolling church bells and preparations for scores of memorial masses for the Catholic figurehead.

It may also prove a turning point in Australia’s relationship with the Vatican after Francis overlooked local archbishops when selecting the nation’s sole cardinal last December.

Cardinal Mykola Bychok said he was filled with sadness for the loss of a “pope of peace” and a man of simple piety.

“This sadness is our human reaction to the death of a much-loved father,” the Ukrainian-born Melbourne cardinal said.

“I am grateful for the late Holy Father’s frequent appeals for a just peace in Ukraine and for the efforts of the Holy See that he oversaw – known and secret – that in some way helped bring relief to the imprisoned and suffering.”

Cardinal Bychok was on his way to the Middle East on a pilgrimage but will divert to Rome as soon as practicable.

He will take part in the funeral rites before joining other cardinal electors to choose the 367th and next Pope.

Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher – who was controversially overlooked as cardinal – praised the pontiff’s condemnation of what he described as ‘the globalisation of indifference’ when it came to refugees and the poor and ‘the throwaway culture’ towards the unborn and elderly.

“Pope Francis passionately decried views and actions contrary to human dignity and flourishing,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a devout Catholic, recalled that the first Pope from the southern hemisphere had compassion that embraced all of humanity.

Joining the prime minister in private prayer at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday evening, Mary Picard recalled a “really good” and progressive Pope.

“He did a lot of good, making some of the really sort of high ceremonies a bit more … for the people,” she told AAP.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton noted the late Pope lived frugally, simply and was driven by “Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness”.

Pope Francis was also lauded for inspiring Australia’s 820,000 Catholic school students to live with courage and compassion.

“His legacy will continue to guide our work in Catholic schools and shape the hearts and minds of students for generations to come,” National Catholic Education Commission executive director Jacinta Collins said.

While not without controversy, his papacy was marked by an emphasis on the mercy and compassion of God, and on the Church’s vocation to be a sign and bearer of that merciful love in an increasingly troubled world, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said.

The change in leadership could also offer a chance for Australia to “reset” its relationship with the Vatican, Deakin and Oxford universities’ Catholic Church historian Miles Pattenden said.

“It was an extraordinary snub that Francis made Mykola Bychok, the Ukrainian Australian Bishop, cardinal and not the Archbishop of Sydney (Fisher),” Dr Pattenden told AAP.

“There’s no way to read that, except as a rebuke to Sydney. It may be that a new Pope allows for a re-test of that, even if he’s still a liberal.”

Parishes around the country are expected to hold special memorial masses for the late Pope in coming days.

National flags on federal government buildings will fly at half-mast on Tuesday as a mark of respect.

Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, whose annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos became a symbol of globalisation, has resigned as chair of its trustees.

The Geneva-based WEF made the announcement on Monday after revealing earlier this month that the 87-year-old Schwab, who for decades has been the face of the Davos get-together, would be stepping down, without giving a firm timeline.

“Following my recent announcement, and as I enter my 88th year, I have decided to step down from the position of chair and as a member of the Board of Trustees, with immediate effect,” Schwab said in a statement released by the WEF.

The forum did not say why he was quitting.

The WEF board said in the statement it had accepted Schwab’s resignation at an extraordinary meeting on April 20, with Vice Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe serving as interim chairman while the search for a new chair began.

The German-born Schwab established the WEF in 1971 with the aim of creating a forum for policymakers and top corporate executives to tackle major global issues.

The village of Davos gradually became a fixture on the international calendar in January when political leaders, CEOs and celebrities got together in discreet, neutral Switzerland to discuss the agenda for the coming year.

Widely regarded as a cheerleader for globalisation, the WEF’s Davos gathering has in recent years drawn criticism from opponents on both left and right as an elitist talking shop detached from lives of ordinary people.

Headquartered above Lake Geneva at the other end of Switzerland from Davos, the WEF has also had to cope with negative reports about its internal culture.

The Wall Street Journal last year said the WEF’s board was working with a law firm to investigate its workplace culture, after the newspaper reported allegations of harassment and discrimination at the forum. The WEF denied the allegations.

Shaken by the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, the WEF has also been buffeted by geopolitical tensions since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and more protectionist US trade policies. Some analysts see it as an institution in decline.

Schwab anticipated globalisation would come under fire long before Donald Trump first won the US presidency and Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, events which analysts attributed to discontent with the prevailing economic order.

“A mounting backlash against (globalisation’s) effects, especially in the industrial democracies, is threatening a very disruptive impact on economic activity and social stability in many countries,” Schwab and his colleague Claude Smadja jointly wrote in an opinion piece in 1996.

“The mood in these democracies is one of helplessness and anxiety, which helps explain the rise of a new brand of populist politicians.” 

More than five million Australian Catholics are in mourning following the death of Pope Francis, who is being remembered for his closeness to the nation.

The Pope died on Monday, aged 88, after recently battling a serious bout of double pneumonia. 

There are 5.1 million people in Australia who identify as Catholic, according to the 2021 Census, equating to about 20 per cent of the total population.

Australia’s only Cardinal Mykola Bychok said Francis was a Pope for the marginalised and those on the periphery. 

“He was a man of simple piety who strove to bring the church closer to people,” the cardinal said in a statement. 

“His gave freely of his gifts and had a unique personal approach to all he met.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere Francis was close to the people of Australia. 

“For Australian Catholics, he was a devoted champion and loving father,” Mr Albanese told reporters.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed his condolences to Catholic Australians on the death of the 266th pontiff.

“He lived frugally and simply,” Mr Dutton said.

“Above all else, he was driven by Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness.” 

Governor-General Sam Mostyn said the Pope’s visit to our region in September 2024 exemplified his devotion to the global church.

“As millions of Australian Catholics mourn a spiritual guide, father and friend, we can all reflect on His Holiness’ message of peace; of respect for the rights and dignity of every member of our human family; and care for the Earth, our common home,” Ms Mostyn said.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio ascended to become the Supreme Pontiff in 2013, making him the first Pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pope from the southern hemisphere since early Christianity.

He was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Mario, an accountant and Regina, a stay-at-home wife. 

Both were Italian immigrants, with Francis graduating as a chemical technician before choosing the path of the priesthood.

Throughout his 12-year tenure, Pope Francis was lauded for his simplicity, humility, warmth and his concern for the poor and those pushed to the edges.

His papacy centred on themes of social justice, including calling attention to people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants, and the need to care for creation, Australian Catholic University lecturer Sandie Cornish said.

“He’s been very much a person who values face-to-face, embodied encounter, not talking about these issues in the abstract, but remembering the faces of the people who experience these issues,” she told AAP.

Pope Francis has revitalised Catholic teaching and presided over a “paradigm shift” in his focus on the environment.

In addition to these progressive shifts, the Pope has made structural changes to the Vatican’s leadership by appointing women to key positions and changing rules to allow lay people to head departments.

While Pope Francis wasn’t considered to have done a perfect job in contending with sexually abusive priests’ crimes, Dr Cornish believes he will be remembered as someone who tried to address the issue.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said the news did not come as a surprise given the Pope’s age and declining health but would be received with great sadness.

“The 12 years of the papacy of Pope Francis were not without controversy,” Archbishop Costelloe said. 

“His constant call that the Church should be open to everybody caused some to fear that he was putting at risk the integrity of the Church’s faith and moral teaching.”

Cardinal Bychok, who is on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, will be the sole attendee from Australia at the conclave.

More than five million Australian Catholics are in mourning following the death of Pope Francis, who is being remembered for his closeness to the nation.

The Pope died on Monday, aged 88, after recently battling a serious bout of double pneumonia. 

There are 5.1 million people in Australia who identify as Catholic, according to the 2021 Census, equating to about 20 per cent of the total population.

Australia’s only Cardinal Mykola Bychok said Francis was a Pope for the marginalised and those on the periphery. 

“He was a man of simple piety who strove to bring the church closer to people,” the cardinal said in a statement. 

“His gave freely of his gifts and had a unique personal approach to all he met.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere Francis was close to the people of Australia. 

“For Australian Catholics, he was a devoted champion and loving father,” Mr Albanese told reporters.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed his condolences to Catholic Australians on the death of the 266th pontiff.

“He lived frugally and simply,” Mr Dutton said.

“Above all else, he was driven by Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness.” 

Governor-General Sam Mostyn said the Pope’s visit to our region in September 2024 exemplified his devotion to the global church.

“As millions of Australian Catholics mourn a spiritual guide, father and friend, we can all reflect on His Holiness’ message of peace; of respect for the rights and dignity of every member of our human family; and care for the Earth, our common home,” Ms Mostyn said.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio ascended to become the Supreme Pontiff in 2013, making him the first Pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pope from the southern hemisphere since early Christianity.

He was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Mario, an accountant and Regina, a stay-at-home wife. 

Both were Italian immigrants, with Francis graduating as a chemical technician before choosing the path of the priesthood.

Throughout his 12-year tenure, Pope Francis was lauded for his simplicity, humility, warmth and his concern for the poor and those pushed to the edges.

His papacy centred on themes of social justice, including calling attention to people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants, and the need to care for creation, Australian Catholic University lecturer Sandie Cornish said.

“He’s been very much a person who values face-to-face, embodied encounter, not talking about these issues in the abstract, but remembering the faces of the people who experience these issues,” she told AAP.

Pope Francis has revitalised Catholic teaching and presided over a “paradigm shift” in his focus on the environment.

In addition to these progressive shifts, the Pope has made structural changes to the Vatican’s leadership by appointing women to key positions and changing rules to allow lay people to head departments.

While Pope Francis wasn’t considered to have done a perfect job in contending with sexually abusive priests’ crimes, Dr Cornish believes he will be remembered as someone who tried to address the issue.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said the news did not come as a surprise given the Pope’s age and declining health but would be received with great sadness.

“The 12 years of the papacy of Pope Francis were not without controversy,” Archbishop Costelloe said. 

“His constant call that the Church should be open to everybody caused some to fear that he was putting at risk the integrity of the Church’s faith and moral teaching.”

Cardinal Bychok, who is on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, will be the sole attendee from Australia at the conclave.

More than five million Australian Catholics are in mourning following the death of Pope Francis.

The Pope died on Monday, aged 88, after recently battling a serious bout of double pneumonia.

There are 5.1 million people in Australia who identify as Catholic, according to the 2021 Census, equating to about 20 per cent of the total population.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed his condolences to Catholic Australians on the death of the 266th pontiff.

“He lived frugally and simply. Above all else, he was driven by Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness,” Mr Dutton said.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio ascended to become the Supreme Pontiff in 2013, making him the first Pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit Pope, and the first Pope from the southern hemisphere since early Christianity.

He was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Mario, an accountant and Regina, a stay-at-home wife.

Both were Italian immigrants, with Francis graduating as a chemical technician before choosing the path of the priesthood.

Throughout his 12-year tenure, Pope Francis was lauded for his simplicity, humility, warmth and his concern for the poor and those pushed to the edges.

His papacy has centred on themes of social justice, including calling attention to people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants, and the need to care for creation, Australian Catholic University lecturer Sandie Cornish said.

“He’s been very much a person who values face-to-face, embodied encounter, not talking about these issues in the abstract, but remembering the faces of the people who experience these issues,” she told AAP.

Pope Francis has revitalised Catholic teaching and presided over a “paradigm shift” in his focus on the environment.

“The freshness of the way he speaks about church teachings, even when he is reiterating the same teaching of previous Popes, has attracted people who previously weren’t inclined to listen,” Dr Cornish said.

In addition to these progressive shifts, the Pope has made structural changes to the Vatican’s leadership by appointing women to key positions and changing rules to allow lay people to head up departments.

While Pope Francis wasn’t considered to have done a perfect job in contending with sexually abusive priests’ crimes, Dr Cornish believes he will be remembered as someone who tried to address the issue.

“Each pope is elected for a particular time,” Dr Cornish said.

“Francis has very much been the perfect Pope for this time, as we’re facing tipping points in the viability of the planet and his ability to speak in a very simple way to people … like an Argentinian pastor, has been really helpful.”

Holidaymakers are warned to avoid any unnecessary risks as powerful swells lash the east coast, resulting in record drownings in one state.

Seven people are confirmed dead – six in NSW and one in Victoria – with the search for two others missing since Good Friday continuing on Easter Monday.

In the latest tragedy, a nine-year-old boy died after becoming trapped between rocks at a popular holiday spot on the NSW mid-north coast.

Police and other emergency services tried to free the boy from the site at South West Rocks on Sunday afternoon, but he died at the scene.

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce described the deadly Easter stretch as one of one of the “most horrific weekends on record in NSW”.

He said crews had also taken part in countless rescues as he urged people to steer clear of rock platforms during the large surf, which was leading to many people being washed off rocks. 

“We’re asking people to avoid the rock platforms all together, particularly where the swell has not abated yet, and rock fishers to please wear a life jacket,” Mr Pearce said on Monday.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is for the public to be aware of the surf conditions when visiting the coastline and to not place themselves in a position of unnecessary risk.”

Unseasonally warm conditions fuelled large crowds at many beaches and waterways over the holiday period.

Rescue crews in NSW and Victoria continued to search for two men missing since Friday.

They included a 24-year-old who was swept off the rocks at Little Bay, in Sydney’s east, and a 41-year-old man exploring the beach near San Remo in Victoria.

Neither have been spotted since going into the water.

The older man was with a group of fellow Chinese nationals living in Pakenham when three of the friends were knocked into the ocean by a wave. 

One woman was rescued, but the missing man’s wife drowned.

Emergency services were also called to Wattamolla in Sydney’s Royal National Park at 11am on Sunday following reports two people were swept off the rocks while fishing.

One of the duo was winched to safety, but the other was unable to be revived and died at the scene. 

A 58-year-old fisherman also died after being swept into water at Wollongong Harbour on Friday morning, while another fisherman died after being swept off rocks at Green Cape, near Eden on the NSW south coast, that afternoon.

A man drowned at Mosman, on Sydney’s north shore, on Friday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his thoughts were with those who had lost loved-ones.

“Australians love the water, we love the surf,” he said.

“Please, everyone, be careful. Families in particular, to be careful of your kids.”

Royal Life Saving Australia chief executive Justin Carr said the deaths happened in extreme weather conditions when people had often put themselves in danger. 

Those activities included walking along rocky shelves, getting too close to the water to take pictures of the storm swell and rock fishing when it wasn’t safe.

An average of six people have drowned each Easter long weekend over the past 20 years, according to the organisation.

Labor will try to avoid complacency despite a clear lead in the polls as the coalition turns to tough-on-crime policies in its last-ditch push for power.

Anthony Albanese visited one of Labor’s most marginal seats on Monday as the latest Newspoll showed Labor’s primary vote was at its highest point in a year.

It was the latest in a series of surveys that have showed the government well ahead on a two-party preferred basis ahead of the May 3 election.

But Mr Albanese pointed to the lessons learned during Labor’s losing 2019 campaign, when it was tipped to win only to be beaten by the coalition on polling day.

“(In) 2019 the bookies paid out and guess what? That didn’t occur, that was a very unwise thing to do,” he told reporters on the NSW south coast on Monday.

“There’s no complacency from my camp.

“This election is certainly up for grabs.”

The opposition has been under pressure to reveal its full policy costings, and on Monday, it unveiled a plan to make Australia safer as it attempts to claw back lost ground.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced a $750 million package to improve community safety by tightening laws and borders, while also establishing a pilot scheme that would reveal the identities of registered sex offenders to parents and guardians.

“Australians underestimate how big an issue this is at this election – people do feel unsafe,” Mr Dutton told reporters in Melbourne’s east.

Mr Albanese said the government already set up a National Child Offender System that allows police in each state and territory to share information about offenders.

But Mr Dutton said the prime minister was being “loose with the truth” as the system’s data was not publicly available.

The opposition leader pushed a suite of tough-on-crime policies in an attempt to wrestle votes from Labor in outer urban electorates.

“There’s a lot of anger in the suburbs and I think you’re going to see that expressed,” Mr Dutton said.

“We are the underdog … (but) there’s no doubt in my mind that we can win the election.”

“The people we’ve spoken to, they feel less safe in their community and, financially, they’ve just been smack between the eyes in a way that they just can’t balance their budgets.”

The prime minister was in the seat of Gilmore, held by Labor on a 0.2 per cent margin, when journalists grilled him on his government’s lack of action on gambling advertising ahead of the May 3 election.

A landmark gambling harm inquiry chaired by late-Labor MP Peta Murphy suggested a total advertising phase-out, but almost two years later, the government has not acted on this key recommendation.

The prime minister acknowledged there was “more to do” but claimed his government had done more to tackle problem gambling than any previous administration.

With early voting starting on Tuesday, the Australian Electoral Commission is preparing to deliver what it calls Australia’s largest peacetime logistical event, with more than 18 million people registered to vote and 60 million ballot papers being printed.

The Newspoll, published in The Australian, showed a lift in Labor’s primary vote to 34 per cent, with the coalition on 35 per cent. 

On a two-party preferred basis, Labor is at 52 per cent, ahead of the coalition’s 48 per cent.

Mr Dutton was favoured as preferred leader in areas such as defence and the economy, but Mr Albanese was preferred on the electorate’s dominant concern, the cost of living, along with housing and health.

The prime minister has vowed not to slip into complacency on the campaign trail, fearing a repeat of his party’s shock election loss six years earlier.

Anthony Albanese visited one of Labor’s most marginal seats on Monday as the latest Newspoll showed Labor’s primary vote was at its highest point in a year.

It was the latest in a series of surveys that have showed the government well ahead on a two-party preferred basis and within reach of being returned with a majority.

But Mr Albanese pointed to the lessons learned during Labor’s losing 2019 campaign, when it was tipped to win only to be beaten by the coalition on polling day.

“(In) 2019 the bookies paid out and guess what? That didn’t occur, that was a very unwise thing to do,” he told reporters on the NSW south coast on Monday.

“There’s no complacency from my camp.

“This election is certainly up for grabs.”

Mr Albanese was in the seat of Gilmore, held by Labor on a 0.2 per cent margin, when journalists grilled him on his government’s lack of action on gambling advertising ahead of the May 3 election.

A landmark gambling harm inquiry chaired by late-Labor MP Peta Murphy suggested a total advertising phase-out, but almost two years later, the government has not acted on this key recommendation.

The prime minister acknowledged there was “more to do” but claimed his government had done more to tackle problem gambling than any previous administration.

Meanwhile, the opposition has been under pressure to reveal its full policy costings while major announcements, such as defence spending, remain up its sleeve.

It announced a $750 million package to improve community safety by tightening laws and borders while also establishing a pilot scheme that would reveal the identities of registered sex offenders to parents and guardians.

Mr Albanese said the government already set up a National Child Offender System that allows police in each state and territory to share information about offenders, although its data is not publicly available.

With early voting starting on Tuesday, the Australian Electoral Commission is preparing to deliver what it calls Australia’s largest peacetime logistical event with more than 18 million people registered to vote and 60 million ballot papers being printed.

The Newspoll, published in the Australian, showed a lift in Labor’s primary vote to 34 per cent, with the coalition on 35 per cent. 

On a two-party preferred basis, Labor is at 52 per cent, ahead of the coalition’s 48 per cent.

Mr Dutton was favoured as preferred leader in areas such as defence and the economy, but Mr Albanese was preferred on the electorate’s dominant concern, the cost of living, along with housing and health.

The survey’s 1263 respondents also judged the Labor leader to be better able to handle the fall-out of the Trump presidency in the US.

Meanwhile, a Resolve Strategic poll published in Nine newspapers has shown voters are not entirely convinced by Labor’s cost-of-living promises with 47 per cent saying it is a stumbling block to voting the prime minister back into power.

But that has not translated into an automatic boost for Peter Dutton with 45 per cent of those polled citing his personality as the number one reason they would not elect him to the top political job.

A perfect storm of warmer-than-usual temperatures and powerful swells has resulted in record drownings over the Easter long weekend in one state.

Seven people are confirmed dead, including six in NSW and one in Victoria, with the search for two others missing since Good Friday continuing on Easter Monday.

In the latest tragedy, a nine-year-old boy died after becoming trapped between rocks at a popular holiday spot on the NSW mid-north coast.

Police and other emergency services tried to free the boy from the site at South West Rocks on Sunday afternoon, but he died at the scene.

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce said crews had also taken part in countless rescues as hordes of holiday-makers made their way to the beach.

“It’s extremely tragic, its the worse drownings we’ve seen on the Easter long weekend,” he told ABC Radio on Monday.

Unseasonally warm conditions fuelled large crowds at many beaches waterways over the holiday period.

Meanwhile, rescue crews in NSW and Victoria have resumed their search for two men missing since Friday.

The men, a 24-year-old man who was swept off the rocks by a large wave at Little Bay in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and a 41-year-old man exploring the beach near San Remo in Victoria, haven’t been spotted after the incidents.

The older man was with a group of fellow Chinese nationals living in Pakenham when three of the friends were knocked into the water by a wave. 

One woman was rescued, but the missing man’s wife drowned. 

Victoria Police said the search was continuing on Monday.

Emergency services were also called to Wattamolla in Sydney’s Royal National Park at 11am on Sunday following reports that two people were swept off the rocks while fishing. 

Two men were found floating face down in the water and were winched to safety, but one was unable to be revived and died at the scene. 

A 58-year-old fisherman also died after being swept into water at Wollongong Harbour on Friday morning.

Another man drowned at Mosman on Sydney’s north shore on Friday morning.

Crews were also called to Green Cape near Eden on the NSW south coast about 3pm on Friday following reports of a fisherman being swept off rocks into the water.

Authorities later found a body in the water.

Australians have been urged to take care on the water during the remainder of the long weekend.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his thoughts were with those who had lost loved-ones.

“Australians love the water, we love the surf,” he said from the southern NSW coastal town of Bateman’s Bay.

“Please, everyone, be careful. Families in particular, to be careful of your kids.”

Royal Life Saving Australia chief executive Justin Carr said the tragic events happened in extreme weather conditions when people had often put themselves in danger. 

Those activities included walking along rocky shelves, getting too close to the water to take pictures of the storm swell and rock fishing when it wasn’t safe to do so.

An average of six people have drowned each Easter long weekend over the past 20 years, according to the organisation.

Leaders are desperately trying to woo Australians with political offerings a day before early voting opens, with millions of people set to cast their ballots early. 

The Australian Electoral Commission is preparing to deliver what it calls Australia’s largest peacetime logistical event with more than 18 million people registered to vote and 60 million ballot papers being printed.

The Easter long weekend traditionally represents a campaign lull, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese using Sunday to chat rugby league.

However his Good Friday was anything but as his beloved Rabbitohs were demolished by the Bulldogs 32-0.

“A sore point, a bit rough for Easter to see the Bunnies go down like that,” he told Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

Over the long weekend, Labor promised to legislate penalty rate protections in a move branded a stunt by the coalition.

The opposition maintains the Fair Work Commission, which sets the minimum wages and conditions, should remain independent. 

“You’ve got the Labor Party coming out saying … somehow the coalition’s got penalty rates in their sights, that is not correct,” Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said.

But the opposition is under pressure to reveal its full policy costings while major announcements, such as defence spending, remain up its sleeve as Australians begin voting.

The latest Newspoll, published in the Australian, shows a lift in Labor’s primary vote to 34 per cent, its highest mark in a year, with the coalition on 35 per cent. 

On a two-party preferred basis, Labor is at 52 per cent, ahead of the coalition’s 48 per cent, raising the possibility of a hung parliament, given support for the Greens and independents.

Approval ratings have fallen for both men, though Mr Albanese is well ahead as preferred prime minister – 52 per cent to Mr Dutton’s 36 per cent.

Support for each leader varies according to issue, with Mr Dutton favoured on defence and the economy, but Mr Albanese preferred on the electorate’s dominant concern, the cost of living, along with housing and health.

The survey’s 1263 respondents also judged the Labor leader to be better able to handle the fall-out of the Trump presidency in the US.

Meanwhile, a Resolve Strategic poll published in Nine newspapers has shown voters are not entirely convinced by Labor’s cost of living promises with 47 per cent saying it is a stumbling block to voting the PM back into power.

But that has not translated into an automatic boost for Peter Dutton with 45 per cent of those polled citing his personality as the top reason they would not elect him to the top political job.

That represents a resounding 10 per cent rise from two months earlier in response to the same question, when 35 per cent were critical of his temperament.