Australian politics and news recap: What you need to know about Liberal and Labor campaign launches

This brings our live coverage to an end.

Thanks for following along as Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton launched their official campaigns.

We will be back tomorrow with more live coverage.

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In an election more about personality than policy, Labor’s campaign launch had to reframe the meaning of leadership.

But it was haunted by a leader not even in Australia.

Donald Trump wasn’t mentioned by name, but his presence floated around the Perth Convention Centre like the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future.

The strongest attack against Anthony Albanese from his opponents is that he’s weak.

Up against the strongman former Defence and Home Affairs minister, the Coalition paints the Prime Minister’s quieter approach as indecisive and too often on the back foot.

But the uncertainty being unleashed by the US president’s trade war is sending voters back in search of stability and a steady hand.

READ MY FULL ANALYSIS BELOW

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton may have hit the bullseye with his last-ditch hip-pocket appeal to voters, but will it land too late?

Mr Dutton chose his campaign launch in the battleground Sydney seat of Werriwa to unveil a one-off tax cut of up to $1,200 for more than ten million taxpayers and a plan to allow first-time buyers of newly built homes to be able to deduct mortgage payments from income taxes.

The sweeteners will have obvious appeal to outer-urban electorates like Werriwa, where mortgage belt voters are experiencing high rates of household stress – and where the Coalition hopes to cut through.

But the question now facing Mr Dutton is whether his gamble to announce his centrepiece pledges on the eve of the poll will prove a smart play to win over wavering voters or could cost him at the polls as the public switch off over an upcoming slew of public holidays.

READ MY FULL ANALYSIS

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The Prime Minister finished his speech by urging Australians to vote for Labor so the Party can “continue building a future that is true to (Australian) values”.

“(A future) where no-one is denied the chance to be their best, no-one left to face uncertainty alone, no-one cut off from the opportunities that lie ahead, no-one held back, and no-one left behind. Everyone of us building Australia’s future together.”

Albanese said Labor’s vision for Australia doesn’t rely on “copying policies” from other countries.

“Labor’s vision for this great country, our plan to build Australia’s future is not borrowing ideologies or copying policies from anywhere else, or anyone else, it’s about building on what has always been our nation’s greatest strength the Australian people, their effort and talent, their creativity and genius, their love of this country, their faith in the fair go.”

His statement comes just one day after Jacinta Price was accused of trying to emulate the Trump administration when she used Donald Trump’s key slogan, saying the Liberals wanted to “make Australia great again”.

A re-elected Labor Government will invest $10 billion to build 100,000 new homes reserved for first home buyers only.

Mr Albanese said the investment will allow young Australians to get into their first home without competition from property investors.

“We want Australians to be able to afford a home where they want to live, close to their family, friends, work and community.”

He said the Great Australian Dream shouldn’t be a thing of the past.

“The right to a roof over your head, and the aspiration to own your own home doesn’t belong in the pages of history, it is fundamental to Australia’s future as we go forward.”

Albanese announced Australians will be able to buy their first home with just a five per cent deposit.

He said the plan will be available for homes valued up to the average price in every city and buyers won’t have to pay mortgage insurance.

“The median price of a home in Australia is a roundabout $820,000. Five per cent of that is $41,000. The last time $41,000 was enough for deposit was more than two decades ago,” Albanese said.