Anthony Albanese is on the NSW south coast to commiserate with locals still reeling from horrific bushfires followed by two years of constant COVID-19 trauma.

He is desperate for NSW Labor to win the state seat, part of a cluster of byelections being held on February 12, to give federal Labor a morale boost and momentum. More importantly, he needs to ensure the popular former Liberal state MP, Andrew Constance, doesn’t succeed in his attempt to get to Canberra by winning back the federal seat of Gilmore from the ALP.