Anthony Albanese is coming out of iso. Have you missed the main contender?
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison sort of has. As a point of reference. Or to score a point.
"He's had a very quiet week. I remember when I was in iso, I had a very busy week attending QUAD summits and doing all those sorts of things," he told Today on Thursday.
Who said it is not a race?
Mr Albanese's campaigning has not been at the earlier pace and reach, but voters have seen the Labor leader over the past week. He's been there on Zoom interviews, radio, social media and an earlier interview with Grace Tame has just happened to pop up on the front cover of InStyle magazine.
It is an uber-cool, black-and-white spread reaching towards, but not quite achieving, the Paul Keating Rolling Stone cover vibe.
The story of his childhood, not knowing his dad and the sacrifices of his mum, made the child abuse advocate emotional. "Oh, I want to give you a hug," an emotional Ms Tame offered.
Mr Albanese described the week at home with his dog Toto as "difficult" and he's busting to get to Perth for the all-important Labor campaign launch on Sunday. It will be his "big re-emergence."
"My symptoms have been much milder than many other people have had, so I am looking forward to getting out," he told Sydney radio WSFM.
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The Coalition is fighting foes on all fronts: Labor, teals, One Nation, Clive Palmer, itself.
What difference has the physical absence of the Labor leader meant?
A noticeable shift publicly, while party insiders say there is frustration and disorder behind the scenes. Not to say there are not the same concerns on the other side.
It is supposed to be about the Labor leadership team. The campaign spokesman, Jason Clare, has shone over the past week.
A particular Thursday zinger took aim at cost-of-living, with Mr Clare offering: "Next time you're at Woolies and Coles and you're swiping the goods, you hear the beep, beep, beep, ringing in your ears ... it will be Scott Morrison, 'Not my fault. Not my fault. Not my fault'."
And sharp attacks have come from Jim Chalmers, with the shadow treasurer referring to Mr Morrison as a "pathological liar" on Thursday.
But questions are being asked about the strategy of using certain frontbenchers and not utilising others.
The Coalition had to change targets and quickly found Labor's deputy Richard Marles. He was Mr Morrison's so-called, but withdrawn, "Manchurian candidate". But lo! A Marles speech from 2019 was found where he said Chinese aid in the Pacific was a "good thing". This is from a time not so long ago when both sides were a lot softer on China.
Are the voters listening? This all wraps in with the wider failure over the Solomon Islands' pact with China. Can't forget that.
And after an unexpected inflation shock, is an interest rate hike about to detonate in the middle of an election campaign? What a time.
Halfway through a six-week campaign, it still feels like anything could happen.