Here's Why The Government Lost A Day Of Election Campaigning To A Story About Water

    After taking off the gloves over Easter, our politicians are back in campaign mode. We are concerned about the PM's head.

    Peter Holmes
    by Peter Holmes

    BuzzFeed Staff

    What you need to know:

    - 100,000 Australians enrolled to vote in the final week before the roll closed

    - Coalition forced to review its own water buyback decisions

    - Greens promise royal commission into Murray-Darling basin

    - Ex-PM John Howard does the grip'n'grin on a street walk in Burwood

    - Opposition leader Bill Shorten refuses to sign pro-Adani pledge

    - Clive Palmer's $30 million ad blitz is working

    The Coalition was forced to launch a review into water buybacks, after it became bogged down by revelations the government forked out $79 million in 2017 to the Cayman Islands-linked company Eastern Australia Agriculture.

    Jenny Evans / Getty Images

    Former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce has come under fire for that decision, made when he was water minister. The current energy minister Angus Taylor was once a director of Eastern Australia Agriculture, when he was working as an investment banker. There is no suggestion he influenced Joyce's decisions.

    The auditor-general will examine 10 years of water buybacks. Agriculture minister David Littleproud said this will "make sure the community can continue to have confidence in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan".

    The $79 million deal was part of the government's $200 million spend on water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

    In Tamworth Joyce told reporters "I’m confident we have done absolutely nothing wrong".

    Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who has flagged a royal commission into the Murray-Darling basin, said the legislation "is on the table in the Senate all ready to go. As soon as the election is over I'll bring it on for a vote".

    💧Sarah Hanson-Young💚 @sarahinthesen8

    The legislation to establish a Royal Commission into the Murray Darling is on the table in the Senate all ready to go. As soon as the election is over I’ll bring it on for a vote. #Watergate https://t.co/ae5eK1Uwze

    Reply Retweet Favorite

    Fresh from hanging with the Easter Bunny, opposition leader Bill Shorten was asked in Queensland if he would join his candidate for Flynn, Zac Beers, in signing a union pledge to not get in the way of the Adani mine project. "No, I'm not going to sign it," he replied.

    Lukas Coch / AAPIMAGE

    "We're very clear, resources projects have to stack up scientifically and not requiring taxpayer money. But I for one am happy if I've got local candidates who are backing the strong views of their community.

    "To be fair to Zac, at this stage of his career he's not running for prime minister of Australia. I'm running for prime minister of Australia. We'll back the science."

    The Australian Electoral Commission revealed that a record number of Australians are enrolled to vote at the 2019 federal election — 16,424,248. It's because we love to vote, not because we have to...

    Robert Prezioso / Getty Images

    The youth enrolment rate is also at the highest level ever, nearly 9 out of 10 eligible 18- to 24-year-olds (88.8%) estimated to be enrolled to vote.

    “There were around 70,000 18-24-year-olds among the additions to the roll during the close of rolls week,” electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said.

    “Enrolment for this youth cohort at 88.8% is now even higher than it was for the marriage postal survey when it was 88.6%.”

    With nearly 100,000 people adding their names to the electoral roll in the final week before it closed ahead of the election, the national enrolment rate is at 96.8%

    Rogers said this represented "by far the most complete electoral roll in Australian history, and a phenomenally high base to election participation unlikely to be matched anywhere in the world".

    There are about 750,000 more people enrolled for the 2019 federal election than were on the roll for the 2016 federal election.

    Former PM John Howard joined Liberal candidate for Reid, Fiona Martin, during a street walk at Burwood in Sydney.

    Joel Carrett / AAPIMAGE

    Coalition Senate candidate in Queensland, Gerard Rennick, has claimed the weather bureau has cooked the books on temperature data in an attempt to "perpetuate global warming hysteria", the ABC reported.

    Facebook.

    Labor has called on Scott Morrison to sack Rennick from his winnable position on the Queensland Liberal National Party Senate ticket

    The ABC said that Rennick had last month accused the weather bureau of "rewriting weather records to fit in with the global warming agenda!"

    "Our public servants are out of control," Rennick said on Facebook.

    If it seems like you can't escape Clive Palmer, it's because he's spent $30 million promoting himself and his United Australia Party. Apparently there is another $20 million to come. So we're over the hump.

    Michael Chambers / AAPIMAGE

    Polling conducted in four marginal seats across Australia for News Corp shows UAP's vote at between 5% and 14%. The party has no chance of winning these lower house seats, however the power of its preferences may tilt the balance.

    Palmer's star candidate in Herbert, former rugby league player Greg Dowling, told The Guardian he was "probably out the door" if Palmer gave preferences to Labor.

    A poll-poll showed that Australians struggle with the YEWDGE Senate ballot paper. We knew that already before the poll-poll.

    William West / AFP / Getty Images

    The PM played soccer in Adelaide. Here he is heading the ball. This type of thing can cause concussion.

    Mick Tsikas / AAPIMAGE