WHERE THE LEADERS CAMPAIGNED

* Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Geelong (Corangamite)

* Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese: Canberra (Canberra)

WHAT THE COALITION WANTED TO TALK ABOUT

* Helping more Australians become home owners with the HomeBuilder scheme and an election commitment to allow first home buyers to access their superannuation for a deposit.

WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT

* Leader Anthony Albanese gave his final major pitch to voters ahead of Saturday in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra.

WHAT MADE NEWS:

* The wage price index rose 0.7 per cent in the March quarter. Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the annual rate was 2.4 per cent, less than half the rate of inflation at 5.1 per cent.

* The prime minister defended his pandemic management saying rising case numbers and deaths were "always going to happen", as Australia records the highest per capita COVID-19 infection rate in the world.

* Mr Morrison blamed Australia's cost of living crisis on inflation which he said was outside his control.

* Mr Albanese said Labor would cut $750 million in "wasteful" grants to balance the budget.

* Nearly six million voters have either pre-polled or applied for a postal vote so far.

WHAT THEY SAID:

"I believe we need to move on from where we've been ... I think it's incredibly important that we manage the pandemic and its future carefully, but we don't go back to those days of shutdowns and lockdowns."

- Mr Morrison on rising COVID-19 infections and deaths.

"Labor's campaign is about the Australian people, your values, your aspirations, the difference that a good government can make in your life. The Liberals' campaign is about them, their obsessions, their vendettas, their excuses, their political survival."

- Mr Albanese compares political strategies.

THE SUPPORT CAST:

"I thought (journalist) Tracy Grimshaw absolutely slaughtered the prime minister last night pointing out all of these ways that he's been there to take credit when things go well but never there to take responsibility when things are difficult."

- Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers on the Mr Morrison's Tuesday night interview on A Current Affair.

"The 5000 number that's been put in by the unions, unfortunately, is just scaremongering and supporting the Labor Party trying to get elected and that's just not a constructive debate."

- Nationals MP David Littleproud on the job cuts the public service union expects as a result of the coalitions plans to find $1 billion in savings in the sector.

TWEETED:

"Can't believe @Greens didn't go with the slogan: Jump On The Bandt Wagon."

- Comedian Dan Ilic on Greens leader Adam Bandt, re-tweeted by Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson.

Australian Associated Press