Election 2022: Anthony Albanese mauled at rowdy press conference

Anthony Albanese has come under attack from shouting reporters during a chaotic press conference two days out from the election.

Anthony Albanese has pushed back against claims he is trying to distance himself from the cost of his party’s policies.

The Labor leader came under attack during a messy press conference on Thursday, with rowdy reporters shouting over each other and regularly cutting him off.

Early on Thursday morning, the media travelling with Mr Albanese were told they would be sent to Canberra for a press conference with Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Labor’s finance spokesperson Katy Gallagher.

Meanwhile, Mr Albanese would travel on to Brisbane.

While the decision was ultimately reversed, Mr Albanese was pressed on the matter at a press conference in Sydney.

Sky News reporter Jonathan Lea put it to Mr Albanese that by having a press conference before the costings were released, and by seeking to separate himself from the media pack, he was attempting to distance himself from the costings.

“You have been in parliament for 26 years, our job is to follow you around the country so we can ask you questions,” Lea said.

“Is it not you distancing yourself from your costings by taking the travelling media pack away from you?”

Mr Albanese replied by saying he had been “completely accountable” during the campaign.

“I’m happy for you to come with me wherever, wherever the travelling media want to go,” he said.

“The offer was made if you want to go to the costings because people felt like you would want to go to that announcement.

“If you want to go to Brisbane and see me hand out how-to-vote cards with the Queensland Premier and our candidates, that’s fine too.”

Reporters peppered Mr Albanese with questions about he knew the costings figures and if he would speak to media again after the numbers were released.

Mr Albanese would not be drawn on holding a second press conference.

He said he stood by his policies and what Mr Chalmers and Senator Gallagher would announce.

Anthony Albanese outside his childhood Camperdown council flat ahead of the final sprint of the election campaign.

Earlier, Mr Albanese began his final 48 hour sprint to the election finish line at the place it all started, outside his childhood home.

Over the last two days of the election campaign, the Opposition Leader and senior Labor figures will hit 20 key electorates in a final push to get over the finish line.

Mr Albanese started in Bennelong on Thursday morning before flying to Queensland to visit Longman, Dickson, Ryan and Petrie.

He also plans to blitz South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria before polls close at 6pm on Saturday, while Labor’s Penny Wong will blitz Western Australia.

But before Mr Albanese got back out on the hustings, he started Thursday morning beaming into national television from outside the Camperdown council house he once called home.

“The number 41 on that home there was something I drilled in a long time ago, about 40 years ago,” he told ABC News.

“This is where my journey began … From a council house in Camperdown to being candidate for Prime Minister … Humble beginnings”

Anthony Albanese delivered a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, an opportunity Prime Minister Scott Morrison snubbed. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The final two days of Labor’s bid to form government could be buoyed by the wage figures released on Wednesday, which suggest Australians are suffering a 2.7 per cent pay cut in “real wages”.

“People are going backwards. People know the cost of everything is going up except their wages aren’t,” Mr Albanese said.

Originally published as Election 2022: Anthony Albanese mauled at rowdy press conference