As Prime Minister Scott Morrison recuperates in Sydney after contracting COVID-19, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was on one of the first planes into Perth early on Thursday morning following Labor Premier Mark McGowan’s long-awaited decision to lift the state’s hard border for interstate and overseas travellers.

After a series of poor federal election results for Labor in the west, Albanese is hoping the McGowan star quality evident in Labor’s sweeping victory in Western Australia’s state election just 12 months ago is still around to boost the party’s chances in key marginal seats for the federal election widely expected to take place in May.