‘He’s better-looking than me’: Albo responds to suggestions fill-in should take over

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has made an admission about his understudy Jason Clare as he isolates at home with Covid-19.

Anthony Albanese has admitted his charismatic understudy is “certainly better looking than I am” while laughing off suggestions he should be replaced.

Labor MP Jason Clare has stepped into the spotlight of the election campaign as the Opposition Leader isolates at home with Covid-19.

Mr Clare, 50, holds Paul Keating’s old Sydney seat of Blaxland.

He has been praised for his confident and easygoing nature in front of television cameras and his ability to calmly interact with the media.

Mr Clare has brushed off questions about being the Labor leader “many people have been looking for” following his public performances.

Asked on Wednesday for his personal reaction to these suggestions, Mr Albanese laughed and praised his Labor team.

“I’m captain of a great team,” he told Network 10 from his Marrickville home.

“And Jason Clare is certainly better looking than I am, there is no question about that.

“He’s a great mate of mine. We have a fantastic team and people have stepped in today.”

Labor frontbencher Jason Clare has been praised for his performance on the election campaign. Picture: Tim Hunter

Mr Albanese went on to name frontbenchers Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Chris Bowen, Jim Chalmers and Katie Gallagher.

“We’ve got a great team and we’re ready to form government,” Mr Albanese said.

“We’ve put out practical plans each and every day, and today are campaigning again on cheaper childcare.”

Mr Clare was at a Sydney childcare centre on Wednesday with Labor’s early childhood education spokeswoman Amanda Rishworth and the party’s candidate for Reid, Sally Sitou.

Labor has promised a $5.4bn package of reforms to reduce the cost of childcare including increasing subsidy rates and ordering a Productivity Commission review of the sector with the eventual aim of implementing a 90 per cent subsidy rate for all families.

Labor is hoping to win the western Sydney seat back from Liberal Fiona Martin, who holds it on just a 3.2 per cent margin.

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

Mr Albanese is still enjoying a comfortable election lead against Scott Morrison despite being forced off the campaign trail and into isolation.

The latest Newspoll conducted for The Australian newspaper suggests Labor continues to lead the Coalition 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis.

However, the poll suggests Scott Morrison has extended his lead over Mr Albanese as the preferred prime minister.

The Prime Minister’s support on this question increased by two points to 46 per cent compared with Mr Albanese, who was unchanged on 37 per cent.

Asked on Wednesday why he would make a better prime minister, Mr Albanese pointed to Mr Morrison’s failures to introduce a national integrity commission and pass his religious discrimination legislation.

“We can be a better country with a better government. And I think people will say to themselves, this mob had a decade in office,” he said.

Before wrapping up his interview, Mr Albanese was asked by one of the Studio 10 hosts if he was wearing pants or boardshorts to phone in for his waist-up appearance.

Mr Albanese laughed. “I have jeans on,” he said.