Bill Shorten has placed healthcare as Labor's top election issue, vowing to "always protect" Medicare during a speech to party faithful in Hobart.
The Labor leader opened his pitch at the Tasmanian Labor conference on Sunday with a crack at Peter Dutton's au pair saga before turning to health.
"It is the number one issue in Tassie. It's a number one concern right around Australia," Mr Shorten said,
"Delivering better care for Australians battling cancer matters far more to me than someone who is negatively gearing their seventh income investment property."
Mr Shorten pledged to "always protect" Medicare because it was the fair thing to do.
"Every day that the Liberals remain stubbornly in charge of our health system is a day closer to the American-style user-pays system where going sick means getting broke," he said.
Labor campaigned heavily on health at the 2016 federal election and were accused by their opposition of running a 'Mediscare' campaign and feeding misinformation to voters.
Mr Shorten reiterated a pledge to give $30 million to reduce waiting lists in Tasmania if elected.
"Tasmanians are waiting too long for operations that are essential to their quality of life (and) are being treated as second class," he added.
After entering to a standing ovation, Mr Shorten joked about Mr Dutton and labelled Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz a "has been" to the applause of the audience.
He explain a recent holiday to the Apple Isle with wife Chloe.
"It's rare for us to get away, the two of us, because you know you have to get someone to mind the kids. In case you haven't heard, there's a national shortage of nannies in this country," he said, referencing Mr Dutton's au pair affair.
Mr Shorten also implored Prime Minister Scott Morrison to come clean on bullying within the Liberal Party.
"Bullies are not entitled to the protection of secrecy and they certainly should not be protected by the deliberate silence of an Australian prime minister."
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