Labor gets its party started

"You get a car (equal pay) and you get a car (cheap medicine)"

"You get a car (equal pay) and you get a car (cheap medicine)"

Anthony Albanese says Australians "deserve better" than the current Coalition government as he made an election pitch to women and workers.

At the official launch of Labor's campaign in Perth on Sunday, Albanese committed to reducing the gender pay gap, making medicine cheaper and getting more electric vehicles onto the road.

Penny Wong and Labor leader Anthony Albanese at the Labor Party launch in Perth WA. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Fresh out of iso after a week stuck indoors with the spicy cough, the Labor leader outlined his "better future plan" for Australia, which he will roll out if elected on May 21, to a huge crowd that included former former Labor prime ministers Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd.

A key announcement was Labor's promise to wade into the Fair Work system and enshrine equal pay within female-dominated industries like aged care and child care.

“Women workers have had a tough two years. And I want to tell you that we see you. We see the work you have done, both paid and unpaid. We appreciate it, and we value it," he said. 

Opposition spokeswoman for women, Tanya Plibersek, who did not attend the launch, said Australian women had been “continually let down by the Morrison Government.” 

“The Liberals have done next to nothing to address the gender pay gap over the last decade in office,” she said.

But Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash said the gender pay gap was 13.8% which was “significantly lower than the 17.4% we inherited from Labor in 2013.” 

@theoz.com.au

So Labor officially launched their election campaign today. 🎈What that basically means is they held a kind of political rock concert and announced their vision for Australia, which they’ll roll out if they win the election on May 21. #auspol #auspolitics @Olivia Caisley ✨

♬ original sound - theoz.com.au

Days after Morrison pledged to cut the cost of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme by $10 per script, Albanese also one-upped the prime minister by responding with a slightly better proposal that would make PBS drugs $2.50 cheaper that the coalition.

Just three weeks out from the election, there's also been a pretty major housing policy announcement from Labor to help young people enter the market. We'll have more to say about that later today.

The launch even had a touch of Hollywood with a cameo appearance of sorts in the form of actor Russell Crowe who narrated a Labor campaign video that was played to attendees ahead of Albanese's arrival. The Oscar winner is also the co-owner of Albanese's beloved rugby league team the Rabbitohs.

The labor video ahead of Anthony Albanese’s arrival - voiced by actor Russell Crowe @9NewsAUS #auspol pic.twitter.com/k0RjvMH9jC

— Jonathan Kearsley (@jekearsley) May 1, 2022