After six weeks of campaigning, the May 21st election is finally here. ABC, Seven, Nine, 10, and Sky all have dedicated coverage as Australia decided who will lead the country for the next three years.
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ABC:
Election coverage begins with Johanna Nicholson and Jeremy Fernandez on Weekend Breakfast at 7am (AEST), followed by extended ABC News bulletins throughout the day from 11am to 4pm presented by Joe O’Brien and Karina Carvalho.
A national edition of ABC News on Election Day at 5pm will cross live around the country for the final word before polls close, presented by Jeremy Fernandez and Mary Gearin.
From 6pm on Election Night, Leigh Sales, Antony Green, and David Speers will spearhead the ABC’s television election broadcast. They’ll be joined by Annabel Crabb, Andrew Probyn, and Laura Tingle as well as Labor’s Tanya Plibersek and Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham.
Greg Jennett and Patricia Karvelas will monitor the mood of the Liberal and Labor camps from their Sydney functions, and the ABC will bring audiences the victory and concession speeches live as they happen.
ABC News election coverage team
Seven:
The day will begin on Seven with Weekend Sunrise kicking off from 7.00am. A special one-hour national news from 4.00pm will lead into prime-time election coverage – beginning from 5.00pm before a break at 6.00pm for Seven News, then resuming from 7.00pm.
7News political editor Mark Riley will join Sunrise co-host Natalie Barr and 7News anchor Michael Usher in leading the station’s election coverage – this year featuring an Australian television-first the “Screen of Dreams” which is set to fast-track winners and decide our next government.
The state-of-the-art, touch-screen technology, made famous by CNN’s John King during the unfolding of the most recent US Presidential election, proved invaluable to viewers as it was able to process pre-poll and postal trends, which look set to be mirrored this election and play a significant role in deciding the winners.
Alongside the “Screen of Dreams” will be “The Panic Station”, filled with numbers operatives from both major parties.
Adding insight from within the major parties and players, Seven’s expert panel will include Labor’s campaign ‘pin up’ Jason Clare, former ACT chief minister, senator Katy Gallagher and shadow minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, while former Coalition star and Morrison Government’s first Defence minister, Christopher Pyne, incumbent attorney general and minister for Industrial Relations, Michaelia Cash and deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud will aim up for the LNP.
Mark Riley
Nine:
The coverage begins at 7.00am with Weekend Today. A special election-day edition of 9News will be broadcast at 4.00pm, then at 5.00pm the election-evening coverage begins. Viewers in all capital cities will hear the latest from reporters on the ground in electorates right around the country in their local editions of 9News at 6.00pm.
Rolling coverage on election night, hosted by Peter Overton and Alicia Loxley, begins at 7.00pm. Nine’s political editor, Chris Uhlmann, will spearhead Nine’s assessment as the votes are tallied. He will also appear on Nine’s panel, which will feature:
• Julie Bishop (LIB) – former Minister for Foreign Affairs (2013 – 2018) and former Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party (2007 – 2018)
• Bill Shorten (ALP) – contested the last two federal elections as Leader of the Labor Party (2013 – 2019)
• Senator Jane Hume (LIB) – Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy and Minister for Women’s Economic Security
• Senator Matt Canavan (NAT) – Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate and former Minister for Resources and Northern Australia
• Kate Ellis (ALP) – former Minister for Youth and Minister for Sport and the youngest person to become an Australian government minister
Nine’s political expert Charles Croucher will gauge the pulse of the nation while dissecting the verdict of viewers and breaking down key battlegrounds.
Nine will cross regularly to Sarah Abo and Chris O’Keefe who will each be stationed at the Liberal’s and the ALP’s HQ as Australia waits to see who will take the keys to The Lodge for the next three years.
Chris Uhlmann
10:
News First: Your Decision will kick off Saturday May 21, from 6pm AEST. Hosting Your Decision from 6.00pm AEST is:
• Sandra Sully, one of Australia’s most experienced news presenters.
• Peter van Onselen, Network 10’s political editor.
• Waleed Aly, political expert and The Project co-host.
• Hugh Riminton, a veteran of the Canberra press gallery and Network 10’s National Affairs Editor.
• Jan Fran, Walkey-award winning journalist and TV presenter.
10 News First presenter and journalist, Narelda Jacobs will analyse the results as they come through and give an insight into what they mean to the bigger election picture.
10 News First reporters will be on the ground covering all key electorates, and as Australia’s political race comes to a close, political reporters Stela Todorovic and Chloe Bouras will report live from Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese’s camps.
Also joining the election coverage will be Anne Ruston, Ed Husic, Hollie Hughes, and Stephen Jones.
Network 10 is joining forces with The Daily Aus’s duo of Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski, who will present insights and data throughout the live broadcast, along with a comprehensive social offering and exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage.
10 News team
Sky News:
Sky News’ Election Day coverage begins at 6am live with Jaynie Seal and Tim Gilbert for Australia Decides: Election Breakfast.
At 9am Annelise Nielsen joins Peter Stefanovic from the Sky News Centre in Sydney for Australia Decides: Election Day Live before Ashleigh Gillon takes the desk at 2pm, crossing to Sky News reporters around the country.
From 5pm Australia Decides: Election Night Live anchored by political journalist and Sky News chief news anchor Kieran Gilbert gets underway.
Joining Sky News exclusively on the election night panel; Sky News Host, political commentator and former chief of staff to prime minister Tony Abbott, Peta Credlin, Sky News political editor Andrew Clennell, Sky News political commentator and former Labor cabinet minister in the Hawke-Keating Governments, Graham Richardson, Nationals senate leader and emergency management minister, Bridget McKenzie, Queensland Liberal National Party senator James McGrath, outgoing Federal Labor MP for the NSW mining seat of Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon, and Queensland Labor senator and shadow Northern Australia and Queensland resources minister, Murray Watt.
Joining the panel on the night will be Sky News Chief election analyst Tom Connell who will call the seats as they fall.
Sky News anchors Paul Murray and Laura Jayes will be live at Liberal HQ throughout the night. Sky News anchor Chris Kenny will be live from Labor HQ and will be joined by deputy lord Mayor of Melbourne and former advisor to prime minister Julia Gillard, Nicholas Reece.
Sky News’ contributors will join the coverage from across Australia – including analysis from former Labor Cabinet Minister in the Rudd-Gillard governments, Stephen Conroy and former Victorian Liberal Party president, Michael Kroger.
Sky News Queensland editor Peter Gleeson will be joined by the leader of the United Australia Party Clive Palmer, live and exclusive, on how his party has performed after its significant spend.
Kieran Gilbert