1 week Ago By Andrew Brown
Cost-of-living concerns are a hot-button issue for voters but Anthony Albanese has had a timely reminder they also affect those too young to cast a ballot. Login or signup to continue reading The prime minister on Monday moved to capitalise on Peter Dutton backtracking on a work-from-home ban, visiting a family in Melbourne's outskirts who don't commute to the office. But he was also met with the unexpected money issues of seven-year-old Greta Jones.
When asked if she took part in her school's Easter hat parade, Greta said she did not take part due to it costing $1. "Everything money, this and that. Icy poles, anything," she told the prime minister.
Mr Albanese said her concerns could be part of Labor's platform going into the May 3 election. "Free icy poles could be a policy we announce at the campaign launch on Sunday," he said. With seats in outer-Melbourne looking to be crucial at the election, the prime minister is shoring up support in Labor heartland.
In the seat of Fraser in Melbourne's west, Mr Albanese reiterated Labor support for a $2 billion upgrade to the Sunshine train station. The coalition has promised it would scrap federal funding for the station upgrades and the contentious Suburban Rail Loop project in favour of a long-awaited airport rail link. But Mr Albanese said the upgrade to Sunshine station was necessary for a rail link to the airport to go ahead.
"Unless you fix Sunshine rail, you can't do the airport rail link. It's a necessary precondition," he told reporters. "I'm a prime minister who understands Victorian infrastructure.
" The announcement was made alongside Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, who made her first foray into the federal campaign. Mr Albanese did not comment on whether state Labor's poor polling would have an impact on the federal party's chances in Victoria, but said he was looking to make more in-roads in party heartland. "I'm pretty confident, we'll be (hoping) not just to hold seats but to win seats in Victoria," he said.
"(Victorian Labor MPs are) standing up for those people who want to get on the metro and then get seamlessly through to the airport right throughout Melbourne." Australian Associated Press Daily Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update.
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