Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finishes three-state blitz with key message

Labor and the coalition have sharpened their election pitches after a week-long practice run ahead of the official start of the campaign.

Anthony Albanese flew out of Perth on Friday afternoon after wrapping up a blitz of key battlegrounds across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

The looming federal election must be held by May 17.

Starting his tour in Queensland, the prime minister pledged $7.2 billion to fix the notoriously dangerous Bruce Highway — a pitch matched by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Mr Albanese promised voters his government was determined to address cost-of-living pressures while building Australia’s future.

“I want a country that continues to grow, that continues to expand, that’s ambitious and optimistic about Australia’s future, that seizes opportunities,” he said.

Mr Albanese said taking action on climate change would not come at the detriment of the nation or economic growth.

“We need to not dismiss climate change as not being associated with the economy. It is,” he said.

“The good news is that responding properly to climate change will open up opportunities for new industry, new jobs, new growth - and there’s no country better positioned to benefit from, for example, the minerals that will power the world in the 21st century, than Australia.”

The cost of living is set to be a defining issue of this election, as households continue to struggle with high inflation and interest rates.

Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume painted the prime minister as “economically illiterate” and attacked Labor’s handling of inflation.

“The Labor government has demonstrated time and again that their economic incompetence is causing Australians to pay more,” she told reporters.

“Australians are paying the price for an incompetent Labor government.

“We can’t afford three more years of Labor.”