Clare Armstrong: Why it was only a matter of time before Anthony Albanese’s luck ran out

Anthony Albanese has mingled so much since the election campaign began it was only a matter of time before his luck ran out, writes Clare Armstrong.

With Covid-19 ripping through the community, it was only a matter of time before Anthony Albanese’s luck ran out and he contracted the virus.

Whether it was high fives at Bluesfest or shaking hands as he met punters on worksites and on the street that ultimately caught up with him, the impact on his campaign is nothing short of devastating.

Any momentum gained from a strong performance at the leaders’ debate on Wednesday in Brisbane, and plans to spend the next few days in Western Australia where Labor is looking to pick up multiple seats have been dashed.

Anthony Albanese has a coffee with Labor candidate for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale, and constituents at a Sydney cafe hours before he tested positive for Covid. Picture: Toby Zerna

But as Mr Albanese stares down a week of isolation – seven whole days not on the campaign trail – he must also be thinking, better to have happened now than later.

Losing the final week of the campaign in such a tight contest would have been all but fatal for the opposition.

Instead, as Mr Albanese recuperates in Sydney he must be buoyed by the fact he is missing a week where the majority of Australia is still on school holidays, with another long weekend on the horizon, and are just not properly paying attention to the election.

Both the Coalition and Labor camps have been frank behind the scenes that they don’t expect much of their messaging to be cutting through during the holiday period.

However politics is a brutal game, and it’s unlikely Prime Minister Scott Morrison would pare back his own campaigning in the spirit of sportsmanship.

Thankfully Mr Albanese is reporting mild symptoms and will, with luck, be back on the hustings by April 28 – in time to make his all-important campaign launch scheduled for May 1 in Perth.

Coalition operatives have already seized on the Labor leader’s insistence on attending aged care homes during his first weeks of campaigning despite the Covid risk and will undoubtedly privately prosecute an argument this was unwise.

Anthony Albanese poses for a selfie at Sydney cafe with Labor candidate Jerome Laxale and constituents hours before he tested postive for Covid. Picture: Toby Zerna

But of the two campaigns, it is Labor that has had far more stringent Covid requirements, with attending media ordered to complete a Rapid Antigen Test every three days and wear P2 masks on all transport.

Media were also limited from attending the aged care visits due to the risk.

Ultimately this may not have protected the Labor leader, but it is important to note his team have been preparing for the inevitability the virus would catch up to them.

Now that it has, Australia will have one of its most unusual election campaign weeks in history, and only time will tell if the break from the trail was a help or hindrance to Mr Albanese’s electoral chances.

Originally published as Clare Armstrong: Why it was only a matter of time before Anthony Albanese’s luck ran out