Anthony Albanese MIA while Sydney electorate is in lockdown

While his Inner West constituents suffer through lockdown, Anthony Albanese has been on a whirlwind tour of the country, not setting foot in his electorate for a month.

He’s been everywhere man, all the way from Gladstone, Queensland, to Devonport, the Gateway to Tasmania.

While his Inner West constituents suffer through their fourth week under lockdown with no end in sight, Anthony Albanese has been undertaking a whirlwind tour of the country that has seen him not set foot in his electorate of Grayndler for a month.

The federal opposition leader left Sydney on June 20, six days before the greater metropolitan area entered lockdown, for Canberra and a two-week sitting period at Parliament House that wrapped up on July 2.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese at a coal mine in Moranbah, Queensland, with Murray Watt and Russell Robertson.

But rather than return to Covid-hit Sydney, Mr Albanese instead began a long march up through Queensland and down through Tasmania, forgoing the delights of Marrickville for the sugar capital of Mackay and Tasmania’s Deloraine, located appropriately enough on Tassie’s Meander River.

It was on this trip that Mr Albanese made his secretive first-ever visit to a coal mine, 775 days after he first became opposition leader, an event which left some union figures scratching their heads at the time.

But while Mr Albanese may be avoiding the lockdown, Labor strategists suggest the travel makes sense as a federal election season approaches and while media in his hometown is entirely dominated by Covid.

The Labor chief will be looking to shore up sceptical blue collar votes in Queensland, as well as flip tight marginal seats in Tasmania such as Bass, which will be contested again by previous incumbent Ross Hart who lost it to the Liberals by just 563 votes in 2019.

By staying out of Sydney, Mr Albanese will also likely be able to avoid quarantining in the ACT before the next parliamentary session.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese arrives to a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Jono Searle

While many backbench MPs will join parliament remotely, NSW-based ministers and others entering Canberra for the August sitting period are required to quarantine on arrival.

But visitors who have spent time in certain areas of Queensland must only fill out an online declaration before entering the ACT and monitor for symptoms with no requirement to quarantine.

Likewise, there are no restrictions on travellers heading to the ACT who have recently spent time in Covid-free Tasmania.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been granted an exemption by the ACT government consistent with those for essential workers, restricting him to the Lodge and his offices at Parliament House including the Cabinet rooms for 14 days before parliament resumes.

Mr Morrison will also be required to take a daily Covid-19 test and wear a mask for the fortnight.

For his part, Mr Albanese is understood to be remaining in touch with his electorate and community groups through video calls and meetings.

On Monday, he told Hobart radio that it was “hard” being away for so long but that “I talk to my family on the phone and thank goodness for FaceTime these days.”

Originally published as Anthony Albanese MIA while Sydney electorate is in lockdown