Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has slammed the Opposition for what he called "demonising" Peter Dutton to distract from its own MP controversies.
The Immigration Minister sparked outrage on Tuesday night for labelling refugees "illiterate" who would take Australian jobs.
Yesterday the Labor party took aim at the Coalition and Mr Dutton. Today, the Prime Minister said it was an attempt to swat aside the failure of Batman MP David Feeney to declare his $2.3m investment property which he negatively gears.
“Bill Shorten is only interested in the politics of this issue,” Mr Turnbull said in south-west Sydney.
“You can see the way he leapt on it yesterday to demonise Peter Dutton as a means of distracting attention from Mr Feeney’s rather careless accounting for his real estate interests. That was all politics yesterday.”
The prime minister again took his chance to talk up Australia's diversity and history.
“Barely a day goes past when I don’t celebrate that we are the most successful multicultural nation in the world and we are built on immigration," Mr Turnbull said.
"We glory in it."
It was a significant day for the Opposition, with Bill Shorten unveiling a $12 billion plan to unwind the Medicare rebate freeze.
The plan, which will be funded over 10 years, is a reversal of Labor's 2013 decision and the party's first big-ticket promise during this federal election campaign.
The rebate freeze has currently been extended by the Coalition until 2019-2020.
"We will defend an Australia where it is your health care card not your credit card that determines the quality of health care you get in this country," Mr Shorten said during his press conference in the marginal seat of Dobell.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten surrounded by the media pack in the marginal seat of Dobell. Source: SBS News
"By reversing Malcolm Turnbull's GP tax and, as such, this is not just a matter of money and the budget.
"This is a battle to defend bulk-billing. As such, it is a battle to defend Medicare."
But Mr Shorten, who was joined by Shadow Health Minister Catherine King, sidestepped questions over whether Labor would restore funding to successful Indigenous health programs.
"We are very committed to closing the gap and Indigenous health," Mr Shorten said.
"Indigenous health hasn't had enough coverage in this election and we have had Pat Dodson out there providing further policies to me with my shadow spokespeople."
SBS reporter Omar Dabbagh is on the campaign trail with the Opposition Leader.
