Good morning and welcome to day 33!

Anthony Albanese is appearing at the national press club today, mostly to make the point that Peter Dutton won’t (as Niki Savva has often pointed out).

After his NPC address, Albanese plans on doing a blitz of the nation, with all six states on the agenda.

Peter Dutton hasn’t had the week he had hoped, after messing up the inflation rate yesterday (2.7% instead of 2.4%) and cutting a press conference short after more questions about his attacks on the media and what he actually meant by it.
That’s because the Trump comparisons have been hurting, and Mark Carney’s win (and the Canadian Conservative leader on track to losing his own rider (seat) hasn’t helped this week, but Dutton’s and the Liberals’ decision to fully embrace One Nation may help sandbag some outer suburban seats the Liberals are trying to win from Labor.

It’s a very, very narrow pathway to anything approaching competitiveness, but the AFR is reporting on polls showing a higher swing than usual to One Nation and other right parties, like Clive Palmers’ latest.

But that also comes with dangers.  As we reported yesterday, the Coalition is at risk of losing senate seats (to One Nation, among others) in NSW and South Australia, with Queensland, Tasmania  and Victoria also being watched by fretful eyes.

And while wooing One Nation voters (and Hanson herself) might help sandbag that outer suburban, inner regional path Howard started the Coalition on and Morrison turbo charged, before Dutton made the sole hope of the party, it also makes winning back those city seats that once served as heartland very difficult.

And puts current seats, like Sturt, in jeopardy.  And that’s before you even consider the seats independents are threatening, not just in Bradfield, but also Cowper, Calare, Monash, Wannon and Flinders.

We’re all going to find out how this ends in a few short days, but it’s not going to make for an easy end to the campaign.

So coffee number three is on the stove, but brace yourself for a rough couple of days.

You have Amy Remeikis with you and the Australia Institute brains trust.

Ready?  Let’s get into it.