Prime minister starts year with a campaign-style blitz

Ahead of the release of consumer price index data this week that is expected to show inflation at between 2.1 and 2.7 per cent in the year to November, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government had made “really encouraging progress” at bringing prices under control.

“Inflation was higher and rising under the Liberals, and it’s much lower and has been falling under Labor,” he said. “The Coalition left us with inflation with a six in front of it, but now it has a two in front of it.”

This masthead revealed last week that Albanese was gearing up to make major boosts to bulk-billing, urgent care clinics and the GP workforce as he seeks to turn Medicare into a key plank of his cost-of-living election pitch.

The latest Resolve Political Monitor, conducted for this masthead, showed the Coalition had 51 per cent support in two-party terms, slightly ahead of Labor on 49 per cent, assuming preferences flowed as they did at the previous election.

Labor’s primary vote has slipped to 29 per cent, down from 33 per cent at the most recent federal election, a record-low figure that will imperil its bid to hold on to majority government.

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Labor’s primary vote has fallen to 30 per cent in Western Australia, down from 37 per cent at the last election, and the party is determined to hold on to as many seats as possible in the west to offset likely losses elsewhere.

Dutton has recently sought to soften his image, including through Instagram posts about mental health and housing as well as an extended podcast interview with former Olympic diver Sam Fricker that covered his relationship history and weight loss as well as policy proposals.

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