Today’s Top News ⇒ Australia's Federal Election Campaign Heats Up

[Em Vicky Khan]

Burke critical of Muslim Votes Matter’s how-to-vote card preferencing decisions
Asked if he expects a swing in his seat, given what is occurring in Gaza, Tony Burke responded:

Up until this morning at 8am, every single candidate had zero against their name. So I don’t take anything for granted and I always work on the basis that you have got to really scramble and fight for every vote that might be there.

One thing in the how to vote that surprised me was when you went through those numbers, [Muslim Votes Matter] put the Clive Palmer party Trumpet of Patriots above me as well, so I look at their policies and I can’t for the life of me work out what the logic is in that preference vote.

Burke was also asked about the fact that in Anne Aly’s seat, the Muslim Votes Matter how-to-vote card has placed her after the Liberal candidate. Burke responded:

I think when they are trying to take out the only Muslim woman in the parliament*, I think that will actually have more impact on how the campaign is viewed.

(*Burke clarified a moment later that he meant to say the House of Representatives, not all of parliament)