Anthony Albanese’s day in Adelaide: Radio, sipping coffee at St Peters, and pledging funding for a new healthcare centre
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spent a quick Tuesday morning in Adelaide, sipping coffees and announcing a $150 million promise for SA. Here’s what Albo got up to during his pop in visit to the state.
The fourth day of the federal election campaign saw Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Adelaide on Tuesday morning, where he announced $150 million towards a new health centre in the southern-suburbs.
The PM started the day at the Nova 9.19 studios in the CBD, where he spoke on the Jodie & Hayesy show about a dinner he spent with AFL great and Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell.
He also met Nova 9.19 producer, Molly Rose, who in her first week of work, mistook the PM for a prankster, after he called into the studio for an interview a month ago.
In the studio, Ms Rose said sorry for the mishap, and that she had “not slept since”.
Following his radio appearance, the PM made his way to the marginal seat of Boothby, currently held by federal member Louise Miller Frost, where he pledged $150 million towards a new $300 million “state-of-the-art” Flinders HealthCARE Centre.
“When this is up and running, there will be, able to be, 100 patients supported by this service and facility every day at any time,” he said.
“Importantly though, what it will train is 1300 health professionals a year.
“It is absolutely vital that at this election, we strengthen Medicare rather than undermine it.”
The facility would be half funded by Flinder University, and would also train 490 nurses, 250 social workers, more than 100 paramedics, 60 physios, 50 midwives, 24 clinical psychologists.
His announcement was quickly matched by the Coalition, with Peter Dutton in Melbourne, also committing the same amount of money for the health centre if he is elected.
The PM was joined by Ms Miller-Frost, Premier Peter Malinauskas, federal Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
After the healthcare announcement, the PM made a visit to Nathaniel’s Coffee and Panini in the suburb of St Peter’s, in the traditionally Liberal electorate of Sturt, now a tight contest between Labor, the Greens and a Climate 200 backed independent who are eyeing up local MP James Stevens’ 0.5 per cent margin.
He was joined by Mr Malinauskas and the Labor Candidate for Sturt, Claire Clutterham who he introduced to surprised clients.
The cafe is Clutterham’s “local.”
The PM started the visit buying a round of coffees and paying for it in cash.
He then spoke to a table of four Christian Ministry workers who regularly hang out at the cafe, first chatting to Mary Ackers about the Red Frogs student association before joking with her colleague Adrian Blenkeninsop about how his dog Toto liked to chase kangaroos in Canberra.“
“She’s not going to win that argument!” he said.
The table described the PM as “warm and personable” and said they appreciated him coming although it was initially “surreal.”
By 2pm, Mr Albanese was in Melbourne, where Mr Dutton had already spent the day campaigning.
The Opposition leader tried to win over voters by splashing major cash on a maligned infrastructure project and posing up for a good cause with an AFL legend.
Mr Dutton’s campaigning for the day began when he touched down in Melbourne, where he was joined by Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie and local Liberal candidates to spruik the Coalition’s pledge to pump $6.5 billion into the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.
Bizarrely, the event where the cash splash was promoted was at a winery surrounded by rolling hills, with flying planes from the airport only visible far in the distance.
When quizzed on the choice of location – and a backdrop which didn’t reflect the multi-billion dollar infrastructure spend – Senator McKenzie put it on staff, saying: “that’s what our advancers have told us to do”.
The event was held in Calwell, a safe Labor seat, before Mr Dutton moved to the south east Melbourne town of Berwick, in the electorate of Bruce, where he held a community forum on crime.
Mr Dutton ended the day with some star power, being joined by Champion AFL footballer Nick Riewoldt for a funding announcement for a charity started in memory of Riewoldt’s sister.
The Coalition announced $3m over three years for Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, a charity to provide support for sufferers of bone marrow failure syndrome, which claimed Maddie’s life.
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Originally published as Anthony Albanese’s day in Adelaide: Radio, sipping coffee at St Peters, and pledging funding for a new healthcare centre
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