Rock-star reception for Albo

LABOR is seeking to close differences with the LNP in the final days of the election campaign, going toe to toe on rallies and matching a Liberal policy, as its Medicare plan came under attack by the Coalition.

A n t h o n y Albanese (pictured) received a rock-star welcome at his rally in Brisbane on Sunday morning, an hour before Prime Minister Scott Morrison took to the stage at his own campaign launch on the other side of the river.

As he addressed party faithful, the Labor leader’s $970m strengthening Medicare fund was condemned as “nothing more than a ministerial slush fund” by outgoing Health Minister Greg Hunt, who said the grants program would only deliver $20 a day extra to each GP on average.

Mr Albanese also confirmed Labor would match the Liberal’s housing policy, incentivising empty nesters to downsize by allowing them to put up to $300,000 from the sale of their larger home into superannuation without paying tax.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Mr Albanese had done a “mini-me” by taking the government’s policies.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk were among the Labor dignitaries at the rally.

Mr Rudd said Australians were “fed up to the back of their teeth” with the Coalition.

“You can feel it across this nation our ours. There is a mood for change,” he told the crowd. He said “pigs will fly” before Mr Morrison changes his spots, after the Prime Minister conceded last week he needed to change the way he did things.