The federal election campaign has been dominated by the fallout of Wednesday night's leaders' debate, including a fiery clash over Australia's relationship with China.
Solomon Islands' decision to sign a security pact with Beijing has also triggered fresh warnings about the potential for an immediate increase in security activity by China.
In the debate, Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused Labor of taking "China's side" in the face of its condemnation of the government for not intervening to stop the deal.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese called the remark an "outrageous slur" with his criticism of the government over the "foreign policy debacle" spilling over into Thursday.
But Mr Morrison has remained defiant, standing by his attack on the Opposition for its critical response to his government's handling of the situation.
"It is backed up by a Labor Party who has played politics with national security, despite their claims to the contrary," he said.
"We are dealing with an autocratic nation that is not playing by the normal rules on how they seek to influence other nations in our region."
It comes as the Coalition sounds the alarm about China's next move, despite assurances from Solomon Islands the security deal won't result in a military base being established.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Thursday said China does "not play by the same rules" and couldn't be held to their pledges about militarisation.
"You can expect the Chinese to do all they can now that they've got this agreement signed," Mr Dutton told Sky News when questioned on whether troops would move into the Pacific nation.
Mr Albanese has attempted to switch the national security debate to the Coalition's handling of what Labor has described as a major foreign policy failure.
"Where has Peter Dutton turned up? The people of the Pacific ... have all seen the video of him talking about how funny it is that countries are going to go underwater," he said.
"China is more forward-leaning. We all accept that. The difference is how do you respond to it?"
Mr Albanese said the question was whether the government would respond by "trying to play politics" or "in a strategic way that makes a difference".
Mr Dutton has lashed any suggestions climate policy was the issue.
"The problem is China and President Xi [Jinping], let's be very honest about it. It's not about climate change," he said.
Mr Morrison on Thursday also moved to clarify when his government became aware of a proposed security pact, but has remained tight-lipped on specifics. This follows Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Pacific Minister Zed Seselja saying they only became aware of it through leaks on social media.
"I can't go into all the details as to how Australia is able to know the specific information, as they are security matters," he said.
"But what I do know is we have always been very conscious of the threat of China being able to influence a nation in our region."
Mr Morrison said this was why the first country he visited following the previous election in 2019 was Solomon Islands.
Anthony Albanese tests positive for COVID-19
Mr Albanese finished up his eleventh day of the election campaign with an announcement that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, the Labor leader said his positive result came after a routine PCR test that was conducted before a scheduled flight to Western Australia.
His infection has ruled him out of seven crucial days of his campaign after his narrow win against the Prime Minister at the leaders' debate on Wednesday night.
He said he was feeling fine and will self-isolate for a week at home.
"While at home I will continue my responsibilities as alternative Prime Minister and will be fighting for a better future for all Australians," Mr Albanese said in the statement.
"I am grateful to know that I will have access to the world’s best health care if I need it, because of Medicare."
Katherine Deves encouraged to campaign
Mr Morrison has also been questioned about whether Liberal candidate for the seat of Warringah Katherine Deves was being stopped from campaigning.
Ms Deves apologised for a number of transphobic comments made on various social media platforms.
Among the now-deleted posts, the lawyer had called transgender children “surgically mutilated and sterilised” and claimed half of the men who transitioned were sex offenders.
Ms Deves has also faced criticism for likening her to the resistance to Nazi Germany.
In a joint statement, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark labelled the statements “inappropriate” and “ill-considered”.
But the prime minister has continued to stand by her as the Liberal candidate for Tony Abbott's former seat in Sydney's northeast - currently held by Independent MP Zali Stegall.
Asked whether she had been prevented from campaigning, Mr Morrison said: "She is campaigning, I contacted her today to encourage her."
"Katherine Deves is passionate about the issue of women and girls in sport.
"The position she has set out on the issue is one that I think finds a lot of resonance with Australians."
Insight, SBS's flagship current affairs show, held a discussion between cisgender and transgender athletes on the 'Save Women's Sport' bill as part of their 'Gender Games' episode this week. .
Both Ms Deves and Senator Claire Chandler were invited to take part in the program, but declined to attend the recording on 4 April.
Labor challenges Coalition over aged care response
Labor aged care services spokesperson Clare O'Neil has also challenged the Morrison government to come clean over its stance on having 24-hour nursing staff in aged care homes.
Ms O'Neil demanded the government clarify its policy over the royal commission recommendation, following comments made on Sky News by Social Services Minister Anne Ruston on Wednesday.
Senator Ruston has said the government had accepted the recommendation to place a nurse in homes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but that it was working to a realistic timeline to avoid placing pressure on the health system.
Labor has promised to implement this policy if elected, but the Coalition has argued doing so would risk shutting down facilities because there aren't enough nurses to staff them.
Ms O'Neil said Senator Ruston had "told the Australian people a lie" accusing her of "pretending" the government shared the same approach.
"We should not allow government ministers to come on television in the middle of an election campaign and completely fib about what their policy is," she said.
"What I want the government to do is to front up about their policies and defend them."
PM 'doesn't buy' pork-barrelling comments
The prime minister has also declared elections are about making commitments to communities but that doesn't amount to pork barrelling.
Mr Morrison announced a $22.8 million urban connectivity package to target poor mobile phone coverage in outer suburbs across Australia.
Touring a defence manufacturing business in Brisbane which received a $34 million government grant, Mr Morrison said Australians expect their leaders to deal with issues that matter on the ground.
He said he "just doesn't buy" the suggestion that election announcements are pork-barrelling, designed to win votes in marginal seats for the Liberal-National coalition.
"More than half of the seats that benefited from the [connectivity] program were Labor seats, not Coalition seats. The majority were actually Labor seats," he told reporters in Brisbane.
Of the 66 projects in the program across 28 electorates, 13 are currently held by the Liberal-National coalition, 14 by Labor and one by an independent.
The prime minister would not answer questions on whether the Labor electorates which benefited from the program were marginal seats he hoped to win back for the Liberals in May.
On Thursday morning, leaked talking points from the Liberal camp showed MPs were briefed on how to answer potentially tricky questions suggesting the connectivity announcement was an election bribe.
The talking points detail how to respond to questions about whether the commitment is a "bribe" or "another example of pork barrelling".
The answer provided in the talking points is "no" and that the grants program was "announced in the 2021/22 budget as part of the government's digital economy strategy".
With AAP.
