Australia's Albanese starts election campaign touting healthcare credentials

29/3/2025 13:23

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese touted his Labor party's credentials on affordable healthcare on Saturday, the first full day of campaigning for a general election expected to have cost of living as a central issue.



Albanese on Friday called the election for May 3 as his centre-left Labor runs neck-and-neck in opinion polls with the Liberal-National opposition led by Peter Dutton, who has campaigned on a housing crisis that he says is putting home ownership out of reach.



After enjoying a healthy lead for much of his term, Albanese's personal approval ratings are now near those of Dutton, a former police officer and the defence minister in the last conservative government.



Labor, which in February pledged an extra A$8.5 billion ($5.3 billion) for Medicare, bills its protection of Australia's universal healthcare scheme as a key difference between it and the Liberal-National coalition, which says it is superior on economic management and border protection.



Medicare, established by Labor in 1984, guarantees all Australians and some overseas visitors access to a wide range of health and hospital services at low or no cost.