Pre-poll votes within the first 24 hours were almost double the number at the same stage in 2016. That could hurt some minor parties who traditionally spend big in the last few weeks of a campaign.
After the backlash against the formal Labor-Greens alliance under the Gillard government, Shorten is anxious to keep maximum distance between the ALP and the minor party.
Clive Palmer was in the news this week after the Newspoll that showed that his United Australia Party could change the result in marginal seats in several states.
West Australian voters need convincing that the Coalition will be better than Labor at managing the economy. Meanwhile, the Queensland seat of Dickson has already descended into personality politics.
There are generally two kinds of federal election: one when the government is returned; the other when it is defeated. History tells us the former is far more common.
While the budget appealed to the Coalition’s perceived strength on overall economic management, wage growth and climate change are likely to be important during the election campaign.
The Labor Party has signalled that equality and fairness will form the centrepiece of its policy framework - but there will be challenges to that if it wins office in May.
Weak economic data and sluggish wages have contributed to the Coalition’s poor showing in the latest Newspoll, which gives Labor a 54-46 lead on two-party preferred.
Schools funding doesn’t pass the playground test of fairness: state schools get less government funding than governments themselves say the schools need.
Bill Shorten is committed to an Australian head of state, but it will likely take lost priority to constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.
If Bill Shorten becomes the next prime minister, his government is likely to be more preoccupied with economic inequality than the Hawke or Keating Labor governments.
As Australians’ trust in politicians continues to slide, whoever wins the 2019 will need to work hard to restore it if it has any hope of bringing about genuine reform.
A Queensland Galaxy poll taken at the same time shows a healthier lead for Labor - but more polls are needed to determine any trends in voting ahead of the federal election.
Senior Lecturer in Political Science: Research Fellow at the Cairns Institute; Research Associate for Centre for Policy Futures, University of Queensland, James Cook University