Labor’s campaign launch in WA provides Anthony Albanese a chance to reset Labor’s campaign

Anthony Albanese’s Covid induced isolation may have come at the perfect time - but every day from now counts and he can’t afford any more gaffes.

It is clear Anthony Albanese still isn’t feeling 100 per cent after testing positive to Covid-19 last week.

In repeated radio interviews on Thursday, the Labor leader emphasised that his doctors have told him to take it easy - which is the polar opposite of what someone vying to be Prime Minister would normally do three weeks from polling day.

He stressed that the first thing he would be doing when he gets out of iso on Friday would be jumping on a long flight to Perth for his campaign launch.

A lot is riding on his performance, and he needs to nail it.

There is never a good time to catch Covid, and while Albanese says his infection has been far milder than many others, he definitely hasn’t been symptom free.

But ironically, if he was going to contract the virus, Albanese probably couldn’t have timed his infection better.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese appears on the ABC after having contracted Covid-19 during the 2022 election campaign

Labor has seen a silver lining to Albanese’s enforced isolation.

It came after a bruising start to the campaign where a series of gaffes put Albanese on the back foot, and allowed the Labor team to highlight key frontbenchers - like Jason Clare, Jim Chalmers, and Penny Wong.

Labor insiders think Albanese’s absence has focused attention on Prime Minister Scott Morrison, believing it has galvanised negative sentiment towards the incumbents.

The enforced break has made Sunday’s launch a natural moment to “reset” Labor’s campaign, at what is effectively the halfway point of the race to polling day.

Mr Albanese has been in seven day Covid isolation. Picture: Toby Zerna

He can’t afford any further mistakes like the ones that wrong-footed him in week one.

Voters’ focus will again turn on the man looking to unseat Scott Morrison for the top job.

In a photo shoot for an interview with the glossy InStyle magazine published on Thursday, the Labor leader was posed in a fashionable “Where is World is Carmen Sandiego?” style overcoat.

But Albanese can’t afford to be in the shadows of this election campaign any longer.

He will need to spend every one of the next 23 days convincing Australians he has what it takes to earn their vote.

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Originally published as Labor’s campaign launch in WA provides Anthony Albanese a chance to reset Labor’s campaign