Superannuation funds are urgently contacting members whose accounts have been targeted by hackers, as many frantically struggle to check their balances.

Cybersecurity experts are calling for greater safeguards, but warn against widespread panic after reports half a million dollars had been stolen in the hack.

Hundreds of Australians had their superannuation targeted, with funds managing more than $1 trillion in assets facing a co-ordinated online attack using stolen passwords.

However, only a small fraction of those targeted have lost funds.

Hostplus, Rest, AustralianSuper and Australian Retirement Trust were among the funds hit in the attack, national cyber security co-ordinator Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness confirmed on Friday. 

The nation’s biggest fund AustralianSuper said hackers allegedly sought lump sum withdrawals from up to 600 accounts. 

Its more than 3.4 million members subsequently struggled to log in amid high call-centre traffic and intermittent outages to online services, but those trying to gain access were warned they may not like what they see.

“Even though you may not be able to see your account, or you are seeing a $0 balance, your account is secure,” the fund said, assuring members it was a temporary glitch.

Media reports say four customers lost money, with up to $500,000 stolen across the accounts.

Digital forensics expert Andrew Collins was surprised the hackers had any success.

“(Superannuation funds) do a very good job, because they protect an awful lot of money,” he told AAP.

The former long-time healthcare and government tech executive said security teams would be working around the clock and customers should “just let it play out”.

“There’s no need to sort of panic over it,” he said.

Investigators should look at common denominators between the users who reportedly had money stolen, he said.

“We do find a lot of users are their own worst enemy in this case,” he said.

Cybersecurity expert Simon Smith said individuals should not be blamed for such an “unbelievable” breach.

“If this is what they say it is, then it’s an absolute negligence on each of those superannuation companies’ behalf,” he told AAP.

Multiple experts have said enforcing multi-factor authentication, requiring uniquely generated codes in addition to a password, needs to be implemented for all superannuation funds.

Insignia Financial, which oversees brands including MLC and IOOF, said about 100 accounts on its Expand platform had been targeted, but no financial impact to customers had been detected. 

Rest said 8000 accounts may have had personal information accessed but no funds were transferred.

The attack took place on the weekend, and follows rising reports of online security threats.

Superannuation and banking firms were working with government agencies to respond to the attack, Lt Gen McGuinness said.

Superannuation funds are urging members to check for signs of fraud, ensure banking and contact details are correct, and change passwords if they are not unique to their account.

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia also confirmed members’ funds had been stolen.

“While the majority of attempts were repelled, unfortunately a number of members were affected,” it said in a statement.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said government agencies would investigate, warning online attacks had become common.

“There is an attack, a cyber attack, in Australia about every six minutes,” he said.

The Australian Signals Directorate Annual Cyber Threat Report in 2024 revealed cyber crime reports had increased 12 per cent, with an average of 100 calls per day to the Australian Cyber Security Hotline.

The Australian share market has fallen to its lowest close in eight months with more than $96 billion wiped from its top 500 stocks.

The S&P/ASX200 on Friday sank 188.9 points, or 2.4 per cent, to 7,670.8, while the broader All Ordinaries tanked 202.5 points, or 2.51 per cent, to 7,850.2.

“Horrendous. Horrendous is the way we’ve ended up today,” IG Markets analyst Tony Sycamore told AAP.

“It’s an absolute bloodbath out there.”

More than $96 billion was wiped from the All Ordinaries’ $2.8 trillion market cap since Thursday, with the top 500 stocks shedding 3.5 per cent of their value in two sessions.

The Australian dollar gave up early gains against the greenback and was buying 62.36 US cents, down from 62.72 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.

The failure of the prime minister and foreign minister to call out a mass grave of humanitarian workers in Gaza has sparked outrage as it’s branded a double standard.

A mass grave of 15 aid workers was found next to their marked aid vehicles after they were shot by the Israeli military, according to the United Nations, with a survivor saying Israeli forces killed both his ambulance crew.

The mangled ambulances were reportedly ploughed over by military bulldozers, with the bodies found nine days after the workers went missing.

Israel said troops opened fire because they were approached “suspiciously” by unidentified vehicles.

The discovery comes as Israel moves to take control of large parts of Gaza, with critics saying the language used by the government reveals an intent to annex swathes of land.

No statements were issued by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Foreign Minister Penny Wong despite Australia spearheading an initiative to protect international humanitarian workers alongside other countries at the UN.

The opposition has also been silent.

Senator Wong’s office declined to comment after three days of repeated requests.

Asked during a radio interview on Wednesday about the number of people killed in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire, Senator Wong said she wanted to see a two-state solution and a ceasefire.

“I understand how distressed so many Australians are by the resumption of violence and the loss of life,” she told ABC Radio.

“I understand how this is impacting upon many Australian communities, and it is devastating.”

Ziad Basyouny, who is running as an independent in the western Sydney seat of Watson against minister Tony Burke, said the lack of condemnation over the mass grave highlighted his point about the double standard of Palestinian human rights Labor had ignored during the war in Gaza.

When allegations surfaced that United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees staff had been involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, there was an instantaneous response as Australia suspended funding and called for details, he said.

“We have confirmed reports from an aid worker organisation … but we are hearing crickets,” Dr Basyouny told AAP.

“Selective moral outrage is not a way to implement justice or address injustices people are feeling.”

The government is in caretaker mode for the election, limiting what information ministers can access from departments, and Australia has no levers to pull as it doesn’t provide funds to Israel.

Dr Basyouny has been backed by the Muslim Vote and Muslim Votes Matter as he challenges Mr Burke, citing Labor’s failure to condemn Israel for atrocities in Gaza as the catalyst for him running.

The failure has sparked outrage in western Sydney communities with a high proportion of Muslims and Middle Eastern Australians. 

Palestine’s de facto embassy in Australia issued a statement calling for accountability, accusing Israel of blatantly disregarding international law.

The paramedics and aid workers were abused, executed and buried in a mass grave “in a heinous act devoid of any moral or legal restraint”, it said, and called for an urgent international response.

Dr Basyouny said Labor would face a backlash over its silence.

“Is it a tsunami or is it a massive wave or is it a surf wave?” he said.

“I’m not sure but there will be backlash and Labor will feel it not just in Watson, but in the whole of western Sydney.”

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People seeing a zero-balance in their retirement funds and those who cannot even check them are being assured their accounts are secure as superannuation managers contact members targeted in a cyber attack.

Hackers have targeted hundreds of Australian superannuation accounts from funds managing more than $1 trillion in assets in a coordinated online attack using stolen passwords, with experts warning security needs to be bolstered.

Hostplus, Rest, AustralianSuper and Australian Retirement Trust are among those targeted in an attack confirmed on Friday by Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness. 

The nation’s biggest fund AustralianSuper said hackers allegedly sought lump sum withdrawals from up to 600 accounts. 

Its more than 3.4 million members are struggling to log in amid high call-centre traffic and intermittent outages to online services, but some who have been able to gain access have been warned they will not like what they see.

“Even though you may not be able to see your account, or you are seeing a $0 balance, your account is secure,” the fund said, assuring members it is a temporary glitch.

“We are working hard to resolve is as quickly as possible,” it said.

Cybersecurity expert Matthew Warren said multi-factor authentication, requiring uniquely generated codes in addition to entering a password, needs to be implemented for every customer.

“This major cyber attack clearly highlights the weak authentication measures implemented by the Australian superannuation industry,” the director of RMIT’s cybersecurity centre said.

Insignia Financial, which oversees brands including MLC and IOOF, said about 100 accounts on its Expand platform had been targeted, but no financial impact to customers had been detected. 

Rest said 8000 accounts may have had personal information accessed but no member funds were transferred.

“We have already contacted impacted members to reinstate their account access and provide next steps and support,” it said.

While some targeted accounts were not breached, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia revealed “a number of members” had funds stolen and would be contacted.

The attack took place on the weekend, and follows rising reports of online security threats in Australia with a cyber crime reported every six minutes. 

Superannuation and banking firms were working with government agencies to respond to the attack, Lt Gen McGuinness said.

Superannuation funds are urging members to check for signs of fraud, ensure banking and contact details are correct, and change passwords if they are not unique to their account.

The superannuation industry association also confirmed members’ funds had been stolen.

“While the majority of attempts were repelled, unfortunately a number of members were affected,” the group said in a statement.

It is believed that attackers were targeting accounts that could deliver lump sum withdrawals.

Government agencies would investigate, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, warning online attacks had become common.

“There is an attack, a cyber attack in Australia about every six minutes,” he said.

The Australian Signals Directorate Annual Cyber Threat Report in 2024 revealed cyber crime reports had increased 12 per cent, with an average of 100 calls per day to the Australian Cyber Security Hotline.

US tariffs have wreaked havoc on financial markets but could force the Reserve Bank of Australia to deliver more mortgage relief sooner.

ANZ Bank – until recently the most hawkish of the big four banks – on Friday upped its interest rate cut predictions due to the carnage US President Donald Trump’s tariffs are expected to inflict on the global economy.

After previously predicting just one more rate cut, the bank’s economists now believe the RBA will deliver three more 25-basis point cuts by August.

That would bring the cash rate down to 3.35 per cent, saving the average mortgage holder an additional $269 a month in repayments.

ANZ thinks a mega 50-basis point cut at the central bank board’s next meeting in May is on the cards, as insurance against an expected collapse in business and consumer confidence.

“On the information we have to hand, the market reaction and past RBA responses to global shocks, more aggressive RBA easing now seems more likely than not,” ANZ’s economics team said in a research report.

The move comes after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick trashed Australia’s biosecurity regime, claiming it was being used to “block” American markets as he attempted to justify Mr Trump’s executive order pinning 10 per cent tariffs on Australian imports.

The United States has long taken issue with Australia’s ban on uncooked American beef imports, which has been in place since a 2003 mad cow disease outbreak.

Australia also does not allow fresh pork imports, uncooked poultry or pears and apples from the US to prevent pests and bacteria.

Mr Lutnick decried these restrictions.

“This is nonsense. This is all nonsense,” he told CNN.

“What happens is, they block our markets.

“When we open those markets, our volumes grow, our farmers will thrive and the price of groceries will come down.”

There was some validity to American accusations Australia used “beyond-the-border” tariffs, Australian National University politics lecturer Jill Sheppard said.

“Rather than imposing financial tariffs, we use the biosecurity regime as a form of trade policy,” she told AAP.

“Everyone involved in primary industries knows it. Everyone that watches politics knows it.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have taken a bipartisan position on the issue, with both promising not to undermine Australia’s biosecurity in US tariff negotiations.

US and world stock markets have tanked amid fears the tariffs could spark a global recession.

Wall Street marked its biggest one-day percentage loss – nearly four per cent – since mid-2020 when the COVID pandemic was in play.

The Australian stock market followed suit, falling 1.8 per cent by Friday afternoon following a 0.9 per cent drop the day prior.

Tariffs are expected to directly reduce Australia’s GDP by about 0.2 per cent, but the indirect impact of the measures on global trade could lead to a bigger hit to the domestic economy.

“What we have seen overnight is a fall in the stock market globally,” Mr Albanese told ABC Radio on Friday.

“There is concern that this will lead to lower economic growth right around the world, and of course, as a trading nation, that will have an impact on us.”

Negotiations with the US administration continue, but Mr Dutton believes his government could bring more to the table if elected.

“When we were in government last, we negotiated for Australia to be exempt and this prime minister has failed that test,” he told reporters in Sydney.

No country has successfully secured an exemption from US tariffs.

With a federal election on the horizon, the tariffs could provide leaders an opportunity to reinvigorate their campaigns.

“It’s an opportunity for both to show strength,” said Headline Advisory director Andrew Carswell, who previously served as a media adviser to former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison.

The prime minister and his coalition rival have come face-to-face for the first time since the starter’s gun fired on the election campaign.

Both leaders have spent the past week zipping across the nation to court voters ahead of the May 3 election.

But on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton crossed paths at the Daily Telegraph’s Future of Western Sydney event, before making competing pitches to one of the fastest growing regions in Australia.

The prime minister highlighted the potential of the region and linked back to Labor’s vision to “build Australia’s future”.

“What Western Sydney is about is opportunity,” Mr Albanese said.

“We want people to get ahead, we want more people to be able to have businesses and to be able to aspire to a better opportunity in life, but also no one left behind.”

On the other hand, Mr Dutton played to his strengths and highlighted the struggles of local voters.

“People have worked hard, but their stories are reflective of what’s happening across Western Sydney and indeed across the country – where people are just really struggling to make ends meet,” Mr Dutton said.

Western Sydney shapes as a key battleground in a knifes-edge election 

Its multicultural community and comparatively low socio-economic status has traditionally made the area a Labor heartland, but growing mortgage pains, mistrust over the government’s actions regarding the conflict in Gaza and previous electoral blunders could offer an opening for the coalition.

With just weeks until Australians take to the ballot boxes, Mr Dutton’s approval rating among voters has plunged to its worst level since becoming opposition leader, polling shows.

The first YouGov poll since the federal election, shows Mr Dutton’s satisfaction rating plummeting to minus 15.

His net satisfaction among voters slumped by 10 points in the two weeks since the last YouGov poll was released on March 21.

Mr Albanese’s personal standing among voters remains in negative territory, but his satisfaction level has improved from minus nine to minus six.

It’s the first time since June 2024 the prime minister has had a higher net-satisfaction rating than the opposition leader.

As the first week of the federal election campaign wraps up, Labor maintains its slim overall lead over the coalition, ahead 51 per cent to 49 on a two-party preferred basis.

Opinion ratings for Mr Dutton had dropped substantially since he unveiled policies, YouGov’s director of public data Paul Smith said.

“Peter Dutton’s personal satisfaction ratings have sunk like a stone to his lowest ever in YouGov’s public data poll since he tied himself to Trump-style policies of banning work from home and sacking 40,000 public sector workers,” he said.

Mr Dutton has been under pressure on the campaign trail to detail where the public service cuts will be made.

The YouGov poll also showed Labor’s primary vote went backwards slightly since the election campaign started, dropping one point to 30 per cent, while the coalition’s also fell by two points to 35 per cent.

While the Greens and One Nation have remained stable at 13 and seven per cent respectively for their primary votes, independents have enjoyed a slight increase, rising by two points to 10 per cent.

Mr Albanese also solidified his lead as preferred prime minister, leading 45 per cent to 38 per cent, following a two-point drop in support for Mr Dutton as leader.

The YouGov poll of 1622 people was conducted between March 28 and April 3, with a margin of error of 3.3 per cent.

Hundreds of Australian superannuation accounts have been targeted by hackers in a coordinated online attack using stolen passwords.

Hostplus, Rest, AustralianSuper and Australian Retirement Trust are among the  providers hit by the attack, which was confirmed on Friday by Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness. 

AustralianSuper said as many as 600 of its accounts were targeted by the hackers who allegedly sought lump sum withdrawals. 

While some accounts were not breached, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia revealed “a number of members” had funds stolen and would be contacted by providers.

The attack took place on the weekend, and follows rising reports of online security threats in Australia with a cyber crime reported every six minutes. 

Superannuation and banking firms were working with government agencies to respond to the attack, Lt Gen McGuinness said, which had hit several firms. 

“I am aware cyber criminals are targeting individual account holders of a number of superannuation funds,” she said.

“I am coordinating engagement across the Australian government, including with the financial system regulators, and with industry stakeholders to provide cyber security advice.”

The attack followed a spike in “suspicious activity” on AustralianSuper’s website and app, chief member officer Rose Kerlin said.

“This week we identified that cyber criminals may have used up to 600 members’ stolen passwords to log into their accounts in attempts to commit fraud,” she said. 

“While we took immediate action to lock these accounts and let those members know, there are things members can do right now to protect themselves online.”

Superannuation funds are urging their members to check accounts for signs of fraud, ensure their banking and contact details are correct, and change their password if it is not unique to their account.

The superannuation industry association also confirmed members’ funds had been stolen in the attack over the weekend.

“While the majority of attempts were repelled, unfortunately a number of members were affected,” the group said in a statement.

“Funds are contacting all affected members to let them know and are helping those whose data has been compromised.”

It is believed that attackers were targeting accounts that could deliver lump sum withdrawals.

Government agencies would investigate the cyber attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, but he warned that online attacks had become common in Australia.

“We will respond in time, we’re considering what has occurred,” Mr Albanese said. 

“But bear in mind the context here: there is an attack, a cyber attack in Australia about every six minutes.”

The Australian Signals Directorate Annual Cyber Threat Report in 2024 revealed cyber crime reports had increased 12 per cent, with an average of 100 calls per day to the Australian Cyber Security Hotline.

Australian shares have continued their slide lower, after a dramatic sell-off on Wall Street overnight fuelled by Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs.

The S&P/ASX200 was down 123.6, or 1.57 per cent, to 7736.2, within 30 minutes of the opening bell. The broader All Ordinaries sank 130.7 points, or 1.62 per cent, to 7922.

The session follows an overnight wipeout in US markets, with the S&P500 closing 4.85 per cent lower, as the tech-heavy Nasdaq tanked nearly six per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.98 per cent.

“US stock markets plunged overnight following President Trump’s unexpectedly hawkish “reciprocal” tariff announcement,” IG Markets analyst Tony Sycamore said.

“A staggering $US2.4 trillion ($A3.8 trillion) was erased from the value of S&P 500 companies, the heaviest one-day drop since the dark days of the COVID crash.”

Nine of 11 local sectors were trading lower, with the defensive consumer staples breaking the mould with a 0.9 per cent gain, and health care stocks barely holding above flat.

Coles shares were up 2.1 per cent to $20.72, while Woolworths was up 0.9 per cent to $30.39.

Energy has tanked, down six per cent and tracking with a more than five per cent drop in Brent crude futures.

IT stocks are also in trouble, down 4.5 per cent in early trading, in-line with the overnight Nasdaq sell-off.

Materials and financials stocks, which account for about half the local share market’s value, were each down more than 1.5 per cent.

Again, the Commonwealth Bank was the best big four performer, down just over one per cent, while ANZ was the worst of the group, down 2.3 per cent after agreeing to boost its capital reserves at the prudential regulator’s request.

Macquarie was even lower, shedding 3.9 per cent.

Iron ore miners have continued to slide as concerns swirl around China’s growth forecasts, with BHP and Fortescue down 1.3 per cent each, and Rio Tinto bleeding 2.2 per cent lower.

The Australian dollar was up against the greenback, buying 63.21 US cents, up from 62.88 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.

President Donald Trump says the market slide due to his decision to impose tariffs was expected and the step was needed to heal the US economy, which he called a sick patient.

At the White House, Trump told reporters the US economy would “boom”, as he stood by his decision to impose a minimum 10 per cent tariff on imports,

Trump also said he was open to tariff negotiations if other countries offered something “phenomenal.”

The penalties announced by Trump on Wednesday triggered a plunge in world markets and drew condemnation from other leaders reckoning with the end of a decades-long era of trade liberalisation.

The S&P 500, which tracks 500 of the biggest American firms, plunged 4.8 per cent – its worst day since COVID-19 crashed the economy in 2020.

But there were conflicting messages from the White House about whether the tariffs were meant to be permanent or were a tactic to win concessions, with Trump saying they “give us great power to negotiate.”

The US tariffs amount to the highest trade barriers in more than a century: a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all imports and higher targeted duties on some of the country’s biggest trading partners.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States had abandoned its historic role as a champion of international economic cooperation.

“The global economy is fundamentally different today than it was yesterday,” he said as he announced a limited set of countermeasures.

Elsewhere, China vowed retaliation for Trump’s 54 per cent tariffs on imports from the world’s No.2 economy, as did the European Union, which faces a 20 per cent duty.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for European countries to suspend investment in the United States.

Other trading partners, including South Korea, Mexico and India, said they would hold off for now as they seek concessions.

Washington’s allies and rivals alike warned of a devastating blow to global trade.

The tariffs “clearly represent a significant risk to the global outlook at a time of sluggish growth,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement.

“It is important to avoid steps that could further harm the world economy. We appeal to the United States and its trading partners to work constructively to resolve trade tensions and reduce uncertainty.”

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and senior trade adviser Peter Navarro both told cable news programs the president would not back off, and the tariff increases were not a negotiation.

Trump then appeared to contradict them, telling reporters: “The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. Always have. I used it very well in the first administration, as you saw, but now we’re taking it to a whole new level, because it’s a worldwide situation, and it’s very exciting to see.”

Stocks suffered a global meltdown, as analysts warned the tariffs could upend global supply chains and hurt corporate profits.

The Dow fell nearly four per cent, its biggest one-day loss in percentage terms since June 2020 while the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined nearly six per cent, its worst day in percentage terms since the pandemic era of March 2020.

American companies with significant overseas production took a hit. Nike shares lost 14 per cent and Apple fell nine per cent.

Imports to the United States now face an average duty of 22.5 per cent, up from 2.5 per cent last year, according to Fitch Ratings.

Trump says the “reciprocal” tariffs are a response to barriers put on US goods, though his list of targets includes uninhabited Antarctic islands and some of the world’s poorest countries, which now face tariffs approaching 50 per cent.

Administration officials said the tariffs would create manufacturing jobs at home and open up export markets abroad, though they cautioned it would take time to see results.

Economists say the tariffs could reignite inflation, raise the risk of a US recession and boost costs for the average US family by thousands of dollars – a potential liability for a president who campaigned on a promise to bring down the cost of living.

with DPA and AP

A top US official has trashed Australia’s biosecurity concerns and claimed they are being used to “block” American markets.

As the fallout from President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade measures continues to reverberate,  US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pointed to the 10 per cent tariff slapped on Australian goods to justify the executive order.

The United States has long taken issue with Australia’s ban on uncooked American beef imports, which has been in place since a 2003 mad cow disease outbreak.

Australia also does not allow fresh pork imports, uncooked poultry or pears and apples from the US to prevent pests and bacteria.

But Mr Lutnick decried these restrictions.

“This is nonsense, this is all nonsense,” he told CNN.

“What happens is, they block our markets.

“When we open those markets, our volumes grow, our farmers will thrive and the price of groceries will come down.”

There is some validity to the Americans’ accusations as Australia has used “beyond-the-border” tariffs, Australian National University politics lecturer Jill Sheppard said.

“Rather than imposing financial tariffs, we use the biosecurity regime as a form of trade policy,” she told AAP.

“Everyone involved in primary industries knows it, everyone that watches politics knows it.”

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have taken a bipartisan position on the issue with both promising not to undermine Australia’s biosecurity in US tariff negotiations.

Overnight, US and world stock markets sank amid fears the tariffs could spark a global trade war and recession.

Wall Street marked its biggest one-day percentage loss – nearly four per cent – since mid-2020 when the COVID pandemic was in play.

The Australian stock market is expected to follow suit when trading resumes on Friday morning.

Australia has been hit less hard by the tariffs as its rates rest on the baseline. There are some exemptions for important industries like pharmaceuticals, however the indirect impact of the measures remains a key concern.

“What we have seen overnight is a fall in the stock market globally,” Mr Albanese told ABC radio on Friday.

“There is concern that this will lead to lower economic growth right around the world, and of course, as a trading nation, that will have an impact on us.”

Negotiations are ongoing with the US administration and Mr Dutton believes his government could bring more to the table if it is elected .

“When we were in government last, we negotiated for Australia to be exempt and this prime minister has failed that test,” he told reporters in Sydney.

No country has successfully secured an exemption from US tariffs.

With a federal election on the horizon, the tariffs could provide leaders an opportunity to reinvigorate their campaigns.

“It’s an opportunity for both to show strength,” said Headline Advisory director Andrew Carswell, who previously served as a media adviser to former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison.

One country that has already used the tariffs as political fuel is Canada.

America’s northern neighbour will go to a national election less than a week before Australians take to their own ballot boxes on May 3.

The Canadian Liberal Party has completely turned around its political chances after appointing a new leader who has vowed to fight back with his “elbows up”, referencing a hockey move used to ward off others.

“You can see a template for turning this into a genuine election campaign issue, that is otherwise pretty devoid of policy,” Dr Sheppard said.