Anthony Albanese launches Labor campaign featuring Russell Crowe voiced campaign video

The Hollywood star has left many Aussies surprised with his unexpected involvement in Anthony Albanese’s campaign launch in Perth.

Anthony Albanese kicked off his Labor campaign launch in front of a packed conference room inside Perth’s Optus Stadium with a surprise appearance by Russell Crowe.

While the Aussie star wasn’t physically there, a campaign video featuring the actor’s growling voice boomed out for Mr Albanese’s introduction.

“Australia, we can do better,” Crowe says.

“All it takes a better government, with better plans. Too many people are working multiple jobs just to keep their heads above water, We can do better than that.

“Too many of our kids aren’t going to be able to buy a house. We can do better than that.”

It didn’t take long for footage of the prerecorded campaign ad with Rusty’s unmistakeable baritone voice to make it onto social media.

Your vote is powerful. Your vote can change Australia. For the better. pic.twitter.com/rIbGJuyhGA

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 1, 2022

It’s not the first time Rusty has showed his support to Mr Albanese, a fellow South Sydney Rabbitohs supporter.

He backed the Federal Opposition Leader in his battle against Bill Shorten for the Labor leadership in 2013.

Don't get me wrong, I think @russellcrowe did a great job narrating the ALP launch video, but if they'd asked me to do it I'd have given it more light and shade; started deep and low, sure - but then gone up in a high fluting Lady Bracknell voice for the 'We Can Do Better' bits.

— Shaun Micallef (@shaunmicallef) May 1, 2022

Brutal swipe at PM

Mr Albanese outlined his party’s vision for the future and dropped several key policy announcements at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

The address was preceded by speeches by Senator Penny Wong, Labor MP Jason Clare and Mark McGowan.

The WA Premier took aim at the Liberals, alleging a preference deal had been made with billionaire Clive Palmer, calling it an “insult to all Australians.”

During his speech, Mr Albanese delivered a brutal swipe at the Prime Minister, savaging him as a fake.

“Great to sit down with Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating – two Prime Ministers who left lasting legacies, who changed Australia for the better, and who never said, “it’s not my job”,’’ Mr Albanese said.

Anthony Albanese launches the Labor campaign.

The dig was a clear reference to the Prime Minister’s claim “I don’t hold a hose, mate” during the bushfires after his ill-fated holiday in Hawaii.

It was a theme picked up on by Labor’s campaign spokesman Jason Clare at the Perth launch who said Australians “deserved better”.

“Not just flying off to Hawaii when our country was on fire and thinking he could fix it with the forced handshake, not just failing to buy enough vaccines when half the country was locked down.

“A Prime Minister who thinks his job is to dress up, pretending to do other people’s jobs.

“This bloke is all tinsel, no tree. Nothing is real about this bloke. Except his ability to let you down.”

But there was one person missing from the roll call of former Labor Prime Ministers – Julia Gillard – who was unable to attend because she’s overseas.

Great to sit down with @MrKRudd and Paul Keating – two Prime Ministers who left lasting legacies, who changed Australia for the better, and who never said, “it’s not my job”. pic.twitter.com/yTd6xYsTEk

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 1, 2022

Albo vows to make medicine cheaper

Mr Albanese revealed Labor, if elected, will make medicines cheaper for millions of Australians via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

“We will reduce the cost of medication on the PBS by $12.50 making it cheaper for general patients,” he said.

“This means the maximum price for PBS medicines will be $30.”

Labor reveals gender pay gap plan

Mr Albanese said Labor would make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act.

“We will set up Expert Panels on pay equity and the care and community sector to help improve pay and conditions for women in those sectors,” he said. “We must give them the respect and the investment they deserve.”

He said women workers have had a “tough two years”.

“And I want to tell you that we see you,” he said. “We see the work you have done, both paid and unpaid. We appreciate it, and we value it.

“But we need to do more than simply thank and applaud you.

“We need to fix the persistent, structural barriers that prevent so many women securing decent jobs and careers, and financial security over the course of your lives.

“That will be a key focus of a government that I lead.”

Albo announces $1b value-adding scheme for resources

Mr Albanese announced his government would ensure that Australians get more value from natural resources instead of just shipping them off overseas.

“Today I announce that, as part of our National Reconstruction Fund, Labor will invest $1 billion in developing value-added products from Australian resources,” he said.

“We’ll take resources like lithium and nickel – essential elements of the batteries that will power the vehicles of the future – and instead of shipping them to another country to make batteries, we’ll have what we need to make them right here.”

Albo wraps up

Mr Albanese wrapped up his speech, before walking off to synchronised clapping from hundreds of Labor die-hards to the tune of Sounds of Then (This is Australia), by Gang Gajang.

After a long list of reasons why Aussies should vote Labor, he concluded with one last plea.

“Vote for hope and optimism over fear and division,” he said. “Vote Labor, so together, we can build a better future. A better future for all Australians.”

Audience cracks it at McGowan’s Albo comparison

Earlier, Mark McGowan hit the stage as he claimed to be completely “in sync” with Mr Albanese — so much so that rattled off a list of similarities that had the Labor faithful in stitches.

“It’s not just about delivering affordable TAFE or more local manufacturing,” he said. “It runs much deeper than that.

“We both caught Covid on the same day. We are both proud poodle owners – his is Toto, mine’s Georgie.

“Both of us have been on a diet for some time, and lost a fair bit of weight …

“But, no matter how hard we work at it, neither of us look like Peter Malinaskus (the new South Australian Premier).”

‘Insult to every Australian’: McGowan erupts

The most impassioned part of McGowan’s speech came when he accused the Coalition of undermining his state by backing Clive Palmer.

He said the “Liberals and Nationals, and their fellow traveller Clive Palmer” would undermine “our hard work” as he accused the Liberals of doing a preference deal with the billionaire.

Mark McGowan.

“There are no excuses for striking a preference deal like this, with someone like Clive Palmer.

“To be that desperate and blatant, it’s an insult to every Australian. And especially every Western Australian.

“The Liberal Party hasn’t learnt its lesson, and has clearly lost its way.”

Penny Wong’s gushing speech

Senator Penny Wong also took to the stage to give a gushing speech about the Labor leader – calling him the man who “embodies hope”.

“The Albo I know is a man of courage and conviction. The most steadfast of friends. The toughest of fighters. And the kindest of hearts. I know no-one braver for his cause,” she said.

“No-one more reliable when you need him. He will stand with you when it is easy and when it is hard. Because he is driven by belief and compassion and integrity.”

Labor MP Jason Clare

Jason Clare unleashes on PM

Labor MP Jason Clare also went on the attack, targeting Prime Minister Scott Morrison with key Labor talking points.

He slammed the PM for “flying off to Hawaii when our country was on fire” and thinking he could “fix it with a forced handshake.”

He also accused the PM of “leaving Aussies on their roof to escape the floods, forced to hire their own helicopters.”

“It happened again this week when the worst inflation results in 20 years came out. Inflation is through the roof. Real wages through the floor. And now, interest rate rises are knocking on the door. Life is getting harder. Not easier,” Mr Clare said.

He also alluded to the PM’s notorious welding video, saying, the country had “a Prime Minister who thinks his job is to dress up pretending to do other people’s jobs.”

Former PMs praised

Albo’s shadow cabinet was greeted with rapturous applause from hundreds of Labor diehards in red T-shirts as they walked out to Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head.

Before the main man showed up, the audience was clapping along to Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man in excitement, before an Indigenous music performance.

During the welcome to country, special mention was made of former Australian prime ministers Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd.

Noongar woman Sandra Harbin thanked the former leaders for “starting the healing of our country”.

Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating at the campaign launch.

The crowd gave loud cheers as they discovered former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating were in the room, but the loudest cheer of the day was for the “state daddy” himself WA Premier Mark McGowan.