Anthony Albanese urges Australians to 'vote for hope and optimism' at Labor campaign launch

After revealing on Sunday that Federal Labor wanted to take a leadership role in addressing housing affordability if it gains power at the election, Mr Albanese went on to announce it would also establish a National Housing Supply and Affordability Council to bring together state, territory and local governments to encourage land release.

"I know what a difference a secure roof over your head can make. A place to call home," Mr Albanese said. "It's so much more than an aspiration to get on the property ladder, it's a sense of security and confidence, it brings hope and pride and belonging.

"I know full well that housing affordability and security are not problems that can be solved by the Commonwealth government alone," Mr Albanese said,

The measures were welcomed by the Property Council of Australia chief executive Ken Morrison, who hoped the new council would ensure housing supply targets were achieved.

"The proposed new body needs to have teeth, with incentives and consequences for states and territories to ensure housing targets are met," Mr Morrison said.

Labor's new shared-equity scheme Help to Buy was "unlikely to distort housing markets or prices" as it was limited to 10,000 places a year, he said, but warned forecasts showed a housing supply crunch was on the horizon.

Construction is set to fall by around a third at the same time population growth is expected to normalise. Australia could find itself more than 163,000 homes short of demand by 2032. Mr Morrison said affordability would remain a dire social and economic issue without more supply.

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Fixing the gender pay gap would be a legislative priority for Labor, making it an objective of the Fair Work Act, Mr Albanese said.

"Women workers have had a tough two years ... but we need to do more than simply thank and applaud you, he said. "We need to fix the persistent, structural barriers that prevent so many women securing decent jobs and careers, and financial security over the course of your lives."

To grow the energy and resources sector, Mr Albanese also pledged to build a national electric vehicle charging network, investments in hydrogen highways for heavy transport, and a $1 billion fund to expand Australia's mining science technology capabilities.

Labor will go further than the Coalition's pledge to cut $10 off the cost of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, instead shaving $12.50 per script. This means no matter which party gains office after May 21, Australians will pay less for prescription medicines.

Mr Albanese also pledged to bring the principles of universal, affordable and quality service to child care and to aged care.

"We will look after the young, we will look after the sick, we will look after our older Australians," he said. "No one held back. No one left behind."

Labor Party faithful gathered at Optus Stadium for the ALP campaign launch, where the leader walked out to sound cheers.

"We are a team with the experience, the intellect, the compassion, but most importantly, the ambition to shape Australia's future - because at the heart of it that is what this election is all about," he told the enthusiastic crowd.

He said Scott Morrison was campaigning on a 'better the devil you know', but Australians know he failed on bushfires, on floods, he did not order enough vaccines and did not order enough rapid antigen tests.

"They know it is harder to see a doctor. They know aged care is in a crisis. They know it is harder to buy a home, and the cost of everything is going up their wages are not," he said.

"That is the devil you know ... we can do better, but this is as good as it gets from this mob."

Mr Albanese urged Australians to "vote for hope and optimism over fear and division", saying they had earned a better future through sacrifices they have made.

The Labor leader said he wanted to talk about five policy areas: renewable energy, resource exports, infrastructure to boost productivity, jobs and training, and caring including child care, Medicare and aged care.

"As your prime minister, I won't run from responsibility," Mr Albanese said.

"I won't treat every crisis as a chance to blame someone else. I will show up, I will step up. I will bring people together. I will lead with integrity and treat you with respect."

The crowd had been given a warm-up by their candidate for Swan, climate change engineer Zaneta Mascarenhas, popular frontbenchers Penny Wong and Jason Clare and the Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan.

The Coalition government has been in power for almost a decade, but they're not going to fix the big challenges faced by Australians, Mr Clare said.

"A Prime Minister who thinks his job is to dress up, pretending to do other people's jobs. This bloke is all tinsel, no tree. Nothing about this bloke is real, except his ability to let you down."

Labor was the party that has shaped the country for the better, he roared to the crowd.

"We're the party of Medicare, of superannuation, the NDIS. We're the party of the big economic reforms that have made Australia what it is today. We're the party that turns the Australia of your imagination into something real."

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The WA Premier stirred up the crowd by reminding them that the federal government had joined forces with Clive Palmer to "undermine our hard work" to keep COVID out of the state with hard border restrictions.

"Can you believe that after all of that, the Liberals would still do a deal with Clive Palmer?" McGowan asked.

"There are no excuses for striking a preference deal like this with someone like Clive Palmer. To be that desperate and blatant, it is an insult to every Australian, and especially to every Western Australian."

Former Labor leaders attended, with Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating seen in the front row. But not all of them as Julia Gillard did not attend.