Anthony Albanese: Perrottet government is like a ‘broken-down ferry’

Anthony Albanese will go for the jugular at the NSW Labor election campaign launch on Sunday by likening the scandal-clad Coalition to a broken-down ferry.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will go for the jugular at the Labor state election campaign launch today by likening the scandal-clad Coalition to a broken-down ferry.

While stating how Labor leader Chris Minns “doesn't pick fights”, Mr Albanese will declare how his state counterpart was no “pushover” when it came to standing up for what was right.

Former Labor premiers will join federal Government ministers at the campaign launch, which attracted more than 900 RSVPs despite there being just 500 seats.

While Mr Minns will focus on the key policy areas of cost-of-living, the health and education workforce crises, impact of offshoring and the economy, Mr Albanese will use his speech to play attack dog.

He will compare the Perrottet government to his own federal Coalition rivals.

An emerald class ferry, the Clontaf, docked Balmain Shipyard in February. All three Chinese-built Emerald 2 ferries have suffered engine issues recently, including an engine failure in the Clontaf. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“The choice is clear,” Mr Albanese will say. “On the one hand, a government falling apart before our eyes. Cracking like an imported light rail carriage, breaking down like an outsourced ferry. Plagued by scandal, dogged by resignation and it still boggles my mind to say this, even stooping so low as to rort bushfire aid.

“Imagine the deficit of character it takes to do that.”

Standing at the shoulders of the Perrottet government were their “big cousins”, the federal Liberals and Nationals, “a Noalition ready to say no to any solution that will help Australians, even though they created so many of the problems we face”, he will say.

“After all the damage they did, the Noalition have nothing left but a grab bag of negativity and scare campaigns.

“To adapt the Franklin D Roosevelt quote, they have nothing to offer but fear itself.

“When Labor won the federal election last May, we faced the task of cleaning up after a decade of Liberal-National waste and dysfunction. It is a task we are equal to because we have the right people and the right policies. You face a similar challenge – cleaning up after 12 years of Liberal-National neglect. It’s a job NSW Labor can get done.”

As for Mr Minns, Mr Albanese will say he was the “right leader” to fix the mess, and someone who would “always stand up for what is right”.

He will say Mr Minns is: “A leader who doesn’t pick fights – but doesn’t shy away from them, either.”

Mr Minns will use the launch to pledge $93.7 million to hire an additional 1000 apprentices and trainees by 2026 to tackle the skills shortage and $70 million to build three new helicopter ambulance bases.