Needling Albanese over his Covid workload is a sign that Morrison is starting to worry

‘Morrison needs Albanese back centre stage to make what remains of the contest a referendum on the Labor leader’s competence’, writes Katharine Murphy. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/EPA

Was I the only person in the country to bang my head on the desk when Scott Morrison decided to goad Anthony Albanese about who had worked harder during their respective periods of Covid isolation?

I doubt it. Given there are so many important things to talk about, washing up in a campaign telenovela, a man-off felt particularly grating – about as soothing as nails dragging down a chalkboard.