Campaigning on opposite sides of the country, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton spent the third day of the election lead-up bolstering their credentials in bringing down energy bills through the use of gas.
While the prime minister said gas would be backed up by renewables, Peter Dutton has called for an east coast reservation of the energy resource ahead of planned nuclear reactors.
Speaking to reporters in Perth, Mr Albanese said plans to reduce emissions by 43 per cent were achievable.
"We have a 2030 target, we're confident we'll meet it, and our policy is very clear ... our policy is for renewables, backed with affirming capacity of gas, batteries and hydro," he said on Monday.
"(The coalition) have got to find $600 billion for their nuclear fantasy, including a nuclear power plant down there at (the WA town of) Collie. (Peter Dutton) hasn't actually bothered to visit that site up close."
The coalition has pledged to build seven nuclear reactors in five states by the mid-2030s, should it win government.
Touring coal country areas in the NSW Hunter, the opposition leader said coalition plans to set up a domestic gas reserve would bring down power bills and ensure supply.
"Gas is not just used at home, but natural gas is used to generate electricity, and it will be across the economy, not just in households," he told reporters on Monday.
"Prices will be cheaper under us. Labor's offering is uncertainty, blackouts, brownouts and much higher electricity and gas prices."
The opposition leader said there was still support for building the power plants in regional communities earmarked for nuclear reactors.
"There is a much higher energy IQ in these communities than what we see in the cities," he said.
"As we've seen in the UK, in the US and in Canada, there's about almost an 80 per cent transfer of jobs from the coal sector across to the nuclear sector. So our plan underpins the economic success of our country for the next century."
While the opposition leader said the gas reserve plan would lower energy bills, he has not given a dollar amount of how much households would save, despite being repeatedly asked for a figure.
It comes as the prime minister said he would prefer if a Chinese research vessel detected off the Australian coast "wasn't there".
Mr Albanese said defence and security organisations were monitoring the ship, which was tracking a route similar to deep-sea submarine cables.
"We live in circumstances where, just as Australia has vessels in the South China Sea and vessels in the Taiwan Strait and a range of areas, this vessel is there," he said.
"What our task is to do, is to make sure that we represent Australia's national interests. We do that each and every day."
Meanwhile, the opposition leader said he would choose living in Sydney over Canberra, should he become prime minister.
"If you've got a choice between Kirribilli or living in Canberra and The Lodge, it takes Sydney any day over Canberra," he told the Kyle and Jackie O show on Monday.
"We love Sydney, love the harbour.
"It's a great city."
The opposition leader's choice appears to mirror the coalition's disdain for the Canberra-based public service, in which the party has committed to slashing as many as 41,000 jobs.
But the prime minister said Mr Dutton was already "measuring up the curtains".
"There's been a lot of hubris from Peter Dutton. We've seen that ... your job is to be close to where the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is, where meetings happen almost every day."
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