Labor is seeking to seize momentum heading into the fourth week of the election campaign with its official launch in Perth.
The launch comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison returns to the issue of online safety.
Anthony Albanese’s broad theme will be building a better future and a stronger economy under Labor, pitching a new housing affordability policy.
Housing is likely to be a hot topic this week with the Reserve Bank widely expected to lift the cash rate on Tuesday, for the first time in 12 years.
Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor will be talking about “choice” at the May 21 election.
“A stronger economy and a better future under Anthony and Labor or another three years of the same drift and dysfunction which has seen ordinary working families falling further and further behind,” Dr Chalmers told Sky News on Sunday.
He says Labor has “tangible policies” to take pressure off the cost of living for Australian families, in the wake of last week’s 5.1 per cent inflation rate.
“Whether it’s in childcare, whether it’s in healthcare, whether it’s power bills, whether it’s mortgages, mortgage repayments,” he said.
Mr Albanese has spent the past week in isolation with COVID-19 but is now in “great nick”, Dr Chalmers says.
Labor will use the launch to unveil a new housing policy, where an Albanese government would give homebuyers up to 40 per cent equity to buy a home.
“We need a whole of government approach,” Mr Albanese told Sky.
On the broader economy, coalition campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham says inflation is expected to stabilise but global uncertainty remains, which is why the government should be returned.
“Our plan is a comprehensive economic plan and is in stark contrast to the Labor Party,” he told the ABC.
“We have outlined plans for jobs growth fuelled by lower taxes and tax relief for Australians.”
Mr Morrison will start his campaign day in the Labor-held seat of Parramatta, where he will talk about the coalition’s blueprint to improve online safety.
Big tech will be required to build enhanced safety controls into their devices that are easy for parents to use and hard for children to bypass.
The eSafety Commissioner would work with Apple, Samsung and others to design device settings and a binding code under the Online Safety Act.
If the industry does not create these controls within 12 months of the government being returned, it would move to force companies to comply with regulations.
