What happened today, Saturday 29 March
We’re going to wrap up the blog for the first full day of the federal election campaign. These were the key events:
– The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader Peter Dutton began the day with campaign stops in Brisbane, with the PM spruiking Labor’s record on healthcare and delivery of urgent care clinics and Dutton reiterating his focus on the economy
– Climate activist group Rising Tide disrupted two campaign events held by Dutton, unfurling banners calling for no new gas or nuclear power plants
– The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, announced $10m for a community hub in Darwin if Labor is reelected. At a second stop in Bundaberg, Albanese announced $20m to launch a “Buy Australia” campaign.
– The Greens also kicked off their campaign in Brisbane, with the party’s leader, Adam Bandt, saying Brisbane voters are “in the box seat”
– Flood warnings remained in place for large parts of Queensland where heavy rain continues. In Western Australia, tropical cyclone Dianne crossed the Kimberley coast early on Saturday before being downgraded to a tropical low.
Thanks for joining us, we’ll see you again tomorrow.
Updated
Albanese lands in Canberra after visiting Queensland and making brief stop in NSW on first day of campaign
The press pack following Anthony Albanese has landed in Canberra as the first full day of campaigning wraps up.
After starting the morning at a Medicare urgent care clinic in Peter Dutton’s electorate of Dickson, Albanese travelled north to Bundaberg in central Queensland to launch a new $20m Buy Australia campaign.
While the media contingent were travelling back to Canberra, the prime minister made a quick detour to Bega on the far south coast of NSW to commit $16m for a local pool.
Albanese is expected to remain in Canberra overnight before an appearance on ABC’s Insiders program.
Updated
