Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made an apparent swipe at Opposition leader Anthony Albanese, saying he had a "pretty quiet week" while isolating with COVID-19.
It came after Mr Morrison was asked whether he was looking forward to having Mr Albanese back on the campaign trail after the Opposition leader was forced into isolation at his Sydney home last Thursday.
“I am looking forward to him rejoining the campaign. He’s had a pretty quiet week,” Mr Morrison told Nine's Today Show.
“I remember when I was in iso I had a pretty busy week, attending Quad Summits and doing all those sorts of things.”
The prime minister's comments saw him interrupted by interviewer Allison Langdon, who said: "Oh come on, he's been out there, he's been zooming, he's been doing his best."
Asked what he thought of Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers' week as the stand-in Labor leader, Mr Morrison used the moment to accuse Labor of planning a carbon tax.
"Oh, sneaky Jim," Mr Morrison said. "He's got a sneaky carbon tax."
Mr Albanese said on Tuesday there would never be a carbon tax under a government he headed.
So, has anyone seen him? What's he been up to?
In an interview with Sydney 2GB radio host Ray Hadley, an isolating Mr Albanese was asked to repeat the words “there will be no carbon tax ever” live on air.
The 27-minute interview also saw Mr Hadley raise his voice at the Opposition leader during discussions on Labor's policies on asylum seekers, climate change and a federal anti-corruption commission.
At one point, Mr Hadley played the sound of a horn, which he said was the sound of a boat carrying people who “can’t be turned back. So they’ll come to Australia”.
The Labor leader has confirmed during the election campaign that offshore detention and boat turnbacks would remain if his party won government.
Mr Albanese said Labor would have the same policy as the Coalition, to which Mr Hadley said: “They’ll go straight from the boat to Nauru would they? Good luck. Good luck ...
"No you won’t [have the same policy], because you won’t have temporary protection visas."
Mr Chalmers was asked on Thursday whether Mr Albanese’s time away from the campaign trail had shown the party it could perform better without him.
"It’s going to be great to have [Albanese] back," Mr Chalmers said. "In his absence, we have done our best. We have showcased our team. One of the great things about Albo is his leadership style is to build a team and lead a team. And you’ve seen the team over the last week."
Labor's foreign affairs spokesperson to Pacific countries and Timor-Leste if elected.
The prime minister, in response, accused Labor of "playing politics with the Pacific" in the wake of , which Mr Albanese claims has made Australia less safe.
On Sunday, Opposition veteran affairs spokesperson Shayne Neumann said Labor would commit $519.2 million to support armed services veterans and their families.
Mr Albanese is due to leave isolation on Friday, having done six virtual interviews so far from his Marrickville home.
Wrapping up an interview with Studio 10, the Labor leader was asked if he was wearing pants while "working from home".
Mr Albanese replied: "I have jeans on."
