Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has opened the first federal Cabinet meeting of the year today.
Marking the first meeting in an election year, campaign-style talk was immediately on the table, with Australians set to head to the polls on 17 May.
In the meeting, Albanese was questioned about whether an increase in public sector employees was wasteful, and “Canberra-centric”, plans for anti-crime funding and anti-semitism, in wake of graffiti and synagogue attacks Sydney.
Addressing his senior ministers at the start of the cabinet meeting this morning, Albanese began with the expected round-up of his political achievements.
These included “inflation with a two in front of it”, one million jobs created, and the opening of 87 Medicare urgent care clinics.
He then returned to his criticism of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s hard-right “political agenda”, stating that the Coalition is now “more conservative than they’ve ever been” with Dutton as leader.
On Sunday, Dutton took a similar approach as he launched the Coalition’s unofficial election campaign with 12 priorities for governing the country.
Speaking to reporters today he confirmed that if elected, his government would be enforcing that local councils must run citizenship ceremonies on 26 January, as well as a plan to spend $7.5 million over three years for Crime Stoppers.
He also stated that a shadow cabinet reshuffle would be coming “in due course”.