Labor focuses on health while Coalition talks Defence over a weekend of policy annoucements

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton spent the weekend with the election in mind but focusing on two very different policy areas in the hope of securing votes.

With an election date still to be announced, the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are nonetheless in full campaign mode, spruiking their wares in a bid to win office.

Mr Albanese delved further into health policy on the weekend, while Mr Dutton talked Defence.

A re-elected Labor government will provide another 50 urgent care clinics across Australia, including one earmarked for Canberra.

All 50 new clinics would be open before the middle of 2026.

The promise of a new network of urgent care clinics helped Mr Albanese win the 2022 election – a commitment Labor delivered on and one which it is repeating this time round.

There are now 87 such clinics around the country, providing bulk-billed consultations on a walk-in basis for relatively minor illness and injuries, taking pressure off the hospital system.

The Prime Minister said the initiative was working and would now be further expanded.

“This has been a huge success. More than a million Australians have benefited from visiting the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics around Australia,” he said.

“We promised 50, we’ve delivered 87 and if we’re re-elected, we’ll deliver another 50 on top of that.

“Some 14 additional in New South Wales, 12 in Victoria, 10 in Queensland, six in Western Australia, three in South Australia and Tasmania, and an additional Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the Northern Territory and the ACT.

“Our Government is prioritising people’s health … Whether your family needs urgent or ongoing health care, under Labor, Medicare will be there for all Australians, in every community.

“Four in five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a bulk-billed Medicare Urgent Care Clinic once all Labor’s clinics are open.”

An independent review of the centres’ effectiveness is underway, but the government is pushing ahead with more clinics before that inquiry is completed, which is expected to be next year.

“The great benefit of these Medicare Urgent Care Clinics is that they are taking pressure off of the cost of living for families,” the PM said.

“They’re also meaning that people can get the care they need when they need it, and all they need is this little green card here. All they need is their Medicare card, not their credit card.”

Meanwhile, Mr Dutton ventured into Defence policy, promising to reinstate the acquisition of the fourth F-35A Lightning II squadron which Labor cancelled in the last federal budget.

The Opposition Leader said a Coalition government would provide an initial $3 billion of additional funding to Defence towards this commitment.

“This funding restores the allocation which the Albanese Government cut,” he said.

“The Coalition’s acquisition of the additional fourth F-35A squadron will bolster the Royal Australian Air Force’s strike and air combat capability, adding some 28 aircraft to the current fleet of 72, reaching a total of 100 aircraft – the Coalition’s original commitment.”

Mr Dutton said negotiations would start immediately upon his becoming prime minister to ensure the Coalition can acquire the aircraft in a timely manner.

The aim would be to begin delivery of additional aircraft within the next five years.

“Labor has cut, delayed and reprioritised more than $80 billion of funding from Defence,” the Opposition Leader said.

“This is a government who, less than a year after promising to grow Defence spending to 2.4 per cent of GDP, has backflipped and reduced the target to ‘over 2.3 per cent’.

“Only the Coalition is committed to backing Defence by increasing the current Defence budget and providing our ADF with the capabilities they need.

“A Dutton Government will stand up for Australia and get Defence back on track.”