Only four and a bit full days to go until we all know who will ruin our… we mean rule our nation for the next three years. Until the last vote is cast and counted you can rely on your No.1 family newszine The Bug to keep you up to date on what’s been happening on the hustings.

A rare moment of unity was achieved last night (Sunday) in the final leaders’ debate for the 3 May federal election.

The debate between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was hosted by the the Seven Network and moderated by Seven News political editor Mark Riley.

The fourth and final head-to-head encounter by the Labor and Liberal leaders was notable for the insistence of Riley on both men sticking to time limits when delivering their answers to his questions and any follow-up responses to each other’s answers.

To assist in maintaining the pace of the debate music was played that gradually rose in volume as answer time limits approached, similar to the play-off music used at ceremonies such as the annual Academy Awards to end the acceptance speech of award winners.

As the debate progressed it was clear both leaders were visibly agitated by the music and eventually Mr Albanese snapped on hearing it as he was answering and loudly uttered: “Oh for fuck’s sake, Mark, turn that fucking music off. ”

Mr Dutton readily agreed and joined in by saying: “Yeah Mark. That music is giving me the shits and I reckon the same goes for your viewers.”

When Riley insisted that the play-off music would stay, both leaders snapped, with Mr Dutton being the first to walk over to the Seven News host and begin roughing him up.

Mr Albanese soon joined in and both leaders began punching Riley hard until he fell to the floor bleeding. (main picture)

The screen then went blank and the network cut to advertisements after which the debate telecast resumed with Riley – heavily bandaged – explaining that the play-off music would no longer be heard.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been criticised for the major campaign announcement he made on Sunday.

Labor Party strategists yesterday briefed reporters travelling with Mr Albanese before the announcement that the health initiative aimed at rebranding and expanding the 24/7 Health Direct advice line would be the party’s final bid to win votes by reminding voters of the Coalition parties’ shaky history on Medicare.

It was only after the launch that reporters noticed the name of the taxpayer-funded service had been changed to 1800MEDISCARE.

They also found that calls to the toll-free number were answered with a tirade of allegations against the Liberal and National parties and references to Peter Dutton’s past comments as health minister casting doubt on his commitment to the universal health care scheme. (below)

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Newspoll lobbed overnight but the main figures – 2PP and primary votes for the two majors – remained at 52-48 in Labor’s favour and with the ALP on 34 per cent primary and the LNP one point higher. All this means that the average of the six polls we are monitoring stays at 53.5 to 46.5 2PP to Labor.

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Little movement again on the betting front. The first figures are from around 9pm last night (Sunday) with the results from roughly 24 hours earlier in brackets.

Sportsbet: Labor $1.13 ($1.15); Coalition $6.00 ($6.00)
Ladbrokes: Labor $1.13 ($1.15); Coalition $5.50 ($5.50)
TAB: Labor $1.16 ($1.16); Coalition $5.00 ($5.00)
bet365: Labor $1.16 ($1.14) Coalition $5.50 ($5.50).
Neds: Labor $1.13 ($1.15); Coalition $5.50 ($5.50).

Seeing the Seven Network debate was one of the lowlights on the hustings yesterday, let’s hear from Ross Clelland.

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There are far too many to run but today’s winner is Latika M Bourke for her hysterical xcrementing over that debate.

Has there ever been a supposed journalist who has ever offered any thing so comprehensibly stupid and vacuous as this? Bourke, who only thinks through fairly small but far-right portions of her brain, can’t even accept that any idea of The Voice was dead, buried and cremated through a racist, divisive No campaign. Albanese was simply stating reality.

BREAKING OVERNIGHT: Real journalists – those still practising and those retired – are said to be sobbing into their beers over the efforts now under way in this nation’s lamestream mediocre to try to explain away Peter Dutton’s “hate media” attack on the ABC, The Guardian Australia and other outlets as a harmless, throwaway line – just a joke really; nothing to see here! – from tired lips at the end of a long speech. They weren’t. The sook expects all media outlets to be completely onside, a la Newscorpse, the Nine radio shock jocks and too many others. He sees media not entirely in his thrall through Trumpian eyes.

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