The major parties have begun their election campaigns across Australia, following the election call of May 3 last Friday.

Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be in Western Australia campaigning with a focus on healthcare, while Peter Dutton lands in New South Wales to discuss energy prices.

PM Albanese will continue his campaigning in Perth to maintain crucial seats for Labor in WA.

Albanese and WA Premier Roger Cook are set to announce a $355 million joint upgrade to Perth’s St John of God Midland Public Hospital. If re-elected, Labor would contribute $200 million on top of the $155 million the WA government has already promised.

“We’re working with the Cook Labor government to build Western Australia’s future,” Albanese said.

Australian Medical Association WA president Dr Michael Page has expressed support for the multi-million-dollar upgrade to the hospital.

“This is a welcome announcement but there’s probably a bit of playing catch-up here,” Page told the ABC.

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has begun Coalition campaigning in NSW, targeting the Labor-held seats of Hunter and Paterson.

Today, he will hold a press conference at the Cougar Mining Equipment facility in Paterson, following the Coalition promise of a 12-month cut to the fuel excise.

“Of the ways we believe we can help families is by cutting the price of fuel by 25 cents a litre, this will help families immediately and we will do that immediately after the election,” Dutton said.

In their move to target gas and energy prices, Coalition campaign spokesman and senator James Paterson says they plan to fine gas giants if energy is not set aside for domestic use.

“If that’s necessary to drive the gas into the domestic market, then we’re prepared to resort to fines to drive it into the markets,” Senator Paterson told ABC radio.

Photo: City’s polling place by Kuba found HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has been cropped.