Albanese kissing babies and on offensive in Dutton’s marginal seat of Dickson

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched an immediate offensive on the first full day of his re-election campaign, taking the fight straight to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s marginal seat of Dickson.

The Prime Minister made his first impromptu stop at a local gym as he sought to demonstrate that he is a match-fit opponent to Peter Dutton in an election that will be won or lost over the cost-of-living crisis.

Standing next to Labor candidate Ali France, Mr Albanese held his first media event at the Murrumba Downs urgent care centre, accusing the Opposition of endangering the future of Australia’s healthcare system.

Labor has framed the election as a “referendum on Medicare”, warning that the Coalition are planning to introduce sweeping US-style reforms that will undermine free services and treatment.

“What this election is about is strengthening the economy, strengthening Medicare versus Peter Dutton’s plan for cuts to everything except your taxes. That is what is at stake in this election,” said the Prime Minister, flanked by his Treasurer and Health Minister.

Brandishing his Medicare card, Mr Albanese said, “this is what is at stake,” before attacking the Coalition over its healthcare record on bulk billing, GP taxes and cuts to the hospital system.

More than a million Australians had benefited from 87 urgent care clinics delivered by the government and 50 more were on the way, said Mr Albanese.

“That’s on top of the eight and a half billion dollars we’re funding to triple the bulk billing incentive, to bring those bulk billing rates up to 90 per cent healthcare,” he said.

Labor’s election promises to introduce free GP visits for nine out of ten patients by the end of the decade and cap PBS scripts from $31.60 to $25 have been matched by the Coalition.

The Prime Minister also defended his Government’s record on housing, saying Labor had overseen the construction of around 400,000 additional homes and that tens of thousands more were on the way.

Health Minister Mark Butler joined the Prime Minister in claiming the Opposition could not be trusted.

“You’ve got a Prime Minister who is committed to lower taxes and a stronger Medicare against an Opposition Leader who is going to deliver higher taxes and American health care, where every single person pays to see the doctor,” he said.

Despite the Government’s centrepiece pledges on cost-of-living relief for housing, healthcare and tax top-ups, the race remains too tight to call, with a record number of soft voters yet to decide their preference.

Labor’s press conference was briefly interrupted by an angry heckler, who demanded answers on immigration figures and the housing crisis.

“We can’t get rentals anymore. We have no future in this country,” the young man shouted before being bundled out by security guards.