‘Get on the tools’: Albanese’s $10k sweetener to try to fix the housing crisis

The latest Resolve Political Monitor showed the Coalition continued to hold a lead over Labor in core support, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is ahead by 39 to 34 per cent against Albanese as preferred prime minister.

Albanese will outline the subsidy in an address to the National Press Club on Friday that will step up the campaign, after weeks of visits to electorates to announce $7.2 billion for the Bruce Highway in Queensland as well as local funding for roads and housing.

The help for apprentices fits the Labor campaign theme about “building Australia’s future” and complements a bill before parliament to extend fee-free TAFE courses to more applicants, a change opposed by the Coalition.

In a growing contest over local announcements, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton campaigned on Thursday near Nowra on the NSW south coast – in the marginal electorate of Gilmore – to promise $45 million for Shoalhaven roads including the Wool Road to Vincentia.

Albanese was in the same electorate last week to commit $5 million for housing in Nowra, while the government estimated last May it had put $1 billion toward Shoalhaven roads.

While the seat-by-seat visits have been dominated by local funding promises, Labor also stepped up its message to voters about action on climate change by announcing a $2 billion contribution to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

That promise tops up the cash in the fund so it can lend to more projects, at the same time it backs housing projects by offering finance to help them with their energy efficiency.

The CEFC, set up by Labor in an agreement with the Greens in 2010, has grown over time to include a $9.5 billion general portfolio, the $19 billion “rewiring the nation” fund for electricity transmission, a $1 billion household energy upgrade fund and smaller funds worth another $1 billion. This has increased federal debt, although the investments are treated as assets rather than expenditure.

Apprentices will receive $2,000 in five stages, beginning when they are six months into their courses and ending at the completion of their training.

“Right now, a first-year carpentry apprentice earns about two-thirds of the minimum wage. Some apprentices earn even less,” Albanese says in an extract of his speech provided to the media.

“That’s before you buy tools, safety gear, clothing and boots.

“As a number of apprentices have said, they could earn a lot more stacking shelves in their local supermarket.

“Too many leave training because they can’t afford to stay.