Australian news and politics live: New poll shows coalition lead soar ahead of federal election

The Prime Minister is speaking now from Melbourne, he’s with Health Minister Mark Butler to talk up Labor’s centrepiece election promise around Medicare.

An extra 18 million GP visits will be bulk billed every year under the Government’s re-election pitch, set to lift bulk billing rates to 90 per cent - to the tune of $8.5 billion over the next four years.

The Coalition was quick to match it, but the PM says the quick adoption by Mr Dutton is “pure politics”.

“What we did was work through cabinet, through our expenditure review committee (ERC), put funding into the mid-year economic forecast in advance, go through line by line, consult people about what this was to make sure it stacked up,” he said.

“What we saw from the opposition yesterday was pure politics.”

Mr Butler says just because the Coalition says they’ll do something, doesn’t mean they will.

“We’ve seen this film before. They said exactly the same thing before 2013, they said they’d back in our health policies then. They said there would be no cuts to health, and what we saw a few months later.... was a health minister in Peter Dutton trying to abolish bulk-billing... and make every single Australian somehow pay as they walked in the front door of a hospital emergency department,” he said.

“Peter Dutton simply cannot be trusted on Medicare... Why on earth would any Australian trust the man who created this mess in the first place to fix it up?”

We’ll be hearing from both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in the next few minutes.

Both of them are having press conferences at the same time - one in Melbourne, one in Brisbane.

We’ll bring you all the latest as it unfolds.

Health Minister Mark Butler says patients wanting to benefit from multi-billion dollar Medicare pledges to make doctor appointments free could only expect to capitalise from November 1.

Mr Butler told ABC radio on Monday morning that any changes would require an implementation period.

“The 1st of November is when the changes to these rebates typically occur,” Mr Butler said.

“That gives practices time to update their software.

“That’s a pretty quick start to a very, very substantial change in how Medicare operates.

“As I said, for the first time, we’ll be giving bulk billing support to all Australians, including those who don’t have a concession card.

“For the first time, we’ll be giving practices an incentive payment in the event that they bulk bill all 100 per cent of their patients.

“That takes a little bit of time to roll out but we’re not ramping this up, it all starts on the 1st of November.”

Global logistics software company Wisetech has told the market that the chairman and three directors will leave the company when it announces its half-year profit on Wednesday.

Chairman Richard Dammery, and directors Lisa Brock, Michael Malone, and Fiona Pak-Poy will exit the board due to “intractable differences in the Board and differing views around the ongoing role of the Founder and Founding CEO, Richard White.”

Mr White was forced to resign as chief executive in October last year following media reports that alleged Mr White unduly used his influence to gain sexual favours, paid for a multimillion-dollar house for an employee that he had been in a relationship with and awarded a lucrative contract to a then-lover.

In 2019, former director Christine Holman resigned accusing Mr White of “sustained intimidation and bullying”.

Further reports in the Australian Financial Review earlier this month revealed three more women had come forward with allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Mr White.

In a statement to the market, the firm also said that it expected its forward guidance for revenue would come in at the bottom of the forecast range.

A new poll has revealed the Coalition has increased its lead ahead of upcoming federal election, with Labor’s support falling, as Australian voters make up their mind on who they will vote for.

In two-party terms, Opposition leader Peter Dutton hold 55 per cent of support with the Coalition, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor now holding just 45 per cent.

The Resolve Strategic poll, published by the ​​​Sydney Morning Herald​​​, showed that 61 per cent of voted have not made up their mind, with 39 per cent still uncommitted to a voting choice.

Mr Dutton also leads as preferred prime minister, 39 per cent to Mr Albanese at 35 per cent.