Australian news and politics recap April 6: Labor extends lead after bumpy week for Peter Dutton

“Today, I announced that Labor will make batteries 30 per cent cheaper for Australian homes, small businesses and community facilities,” Mr Albanese says.

“Our plan for cheaper home batteries will start on the 1 July this year.

“It makes the choice crystal clear, wait until sometime in the 2040s for expensive nuclear energy under the Liberal Party or save money this year and every year afterwards with solar power under Labor.”

Mr Albanese is rolling out the party line on Medicare once again.

“Saturday the third of May is a make or break moment for Medicare,” he sayd.

“We have had less than three years to repair the decade of damage that the Liberal Party inflicted on the Australian health system.

“The only way to protect Medicare and strengthen it is to vote Labor on the third of May.”

Education was a major focus of the recent Federal Budget, and he’s taking some time to walk us through the investments Labor has made in that sector.

“Cheaper childcare and early learning for more than one million families serving on average $2700 a family. Fair funding for every school. Free TAFE, 600,000 new places and counting.

“Taking 20% off student debt. Opening the university hubs and early education centres in our regions and suburbs.

“Opening the doors of opportunity for every Australian and pushing them wider and wider because we know education changes lives.

“It is the most powerful weapon we have. It is the best investment we can make in Australia’s future.”

Anthony Albanese has claimed that the Coalition’s planned cuts to the public service in Canberra will mean the return of Robodebt.

“These Liberal cuts would mean the return of robodebt, a regime of systematic cruelty.

“That handed some of the most vulnerable people in Australia for money that they never owed.”

Bit of a long bow, there.

“All of our Queensland Labor members and senators do an extraordinary job for the State and for our country,” Mr Albanese says.

“That is why we want more of them in our Labor Government.

“That is why I started this campaign right here in Queensland.

“Backing Medicare in Brisbane and buying Australian and Bundaberg - because nothing says Australian made like a Bundaberg ginger beer, except maybe a dark and stormy.”

The audience appreciates that one.

He also gives an honourable nod to Dickson, the marginal Brisbane seat held by Peter Dutton.

“It’s no accident (Dickson) was the first seat I visited, and I will be back,” he says.

This won’t be the last time you hear Labor having a dig at Mr Dutton over his ill-timed Kirribilli comments on radio last week.

And it won’t be the last time you hear them bringing it up in Queensland, Mr Dutton’s home State.

“My opponent started his campaign measuring up the curtains at Kirribilli House. Some Queenslander. While telling everyone else they cannot work from home,” the PM says.

“He is dreaming about Sydney Harbour, we are upgrading the Bruce Highway. He denigrates people working from home, we are building more homes. That is the choice.”

Albo is guaranteed to be in a better mood talking to this crowd than the pack of reporters that have been following him around the country.

We’ll bring you all the latest as he starts his speech.

Dr Chalmers has referred to Labor’s claim that Peter Dutton will cut Medicare, despite the Opposition Leader pledging to match Labor’s funding commitment.

“Peter Dutton is jacking up taxes for every single taxpayer, coming after Medicare again to pay for his nuclear reactors, making Australians worse off and taking us backwards,m” he said.

“Never, ever forget that when the cyclone was bearing down and millions were in harm’s way, Anthony Albanese came to Queensland to help. Peter Dutton went to Sydney to help himself.”

The Treasurer is a Queensland local and is talking up how great the people of Queensland are, in the context of the recent flooding in the western and central parts of the State.

“You know and I know that we are Queenslanders because we are robust and resilient, we are practical and pragmatic people. We are Australians because we look out for each other and we look after each other,” he said.

“We know the power of collective action, we know that we get more done and we make more progress together. The Queensland contingent in the Albanese Government is short on numbers and long on influence.”

Dr Chalmers acknowledged his predecessor Wayne Swan, who is also in the room.

The Nightly’s Ellen Ransley reports there are a number of Labor MPs and stalwarts in the room, including:

• Treasurer Jim Chalmers
• Deputy PM and Defence Minister Richard Marles
• Employment Minister/ QLD senator Murray Watt
• Aged Care and Sport Minister/ Lilley MP Anika Wells
• Energy Minister Chris Bowen
• Former Qld premiers Annastacia Palaszczuk and Stephen Miles, and former Qld treasurer Cameron Dick
• Various Federal Qld MPs and senators
• Various State MPs
• National Labor President Wayne Swan
• Queensland Labor candidates