Day 45 of the federal election campaign

FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN: DAY 45

WHERE THE LEADERS CAMPAIGNED:

* Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: Cairns, in the marginal coalition seat of Leichhardt; later on the Gold Coast for a M1 funding announcement.

* Labor leader Bill Shorten: Sydney.

* Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce: Canberra, to address the National Press Club.

* Greens leader Richard Di Natale: Sydney, to announce plans for a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks.

WHAT THE COALITION TALKED ABOUT:

* Border protection, in light of latest asylum-seeker turnback.

* A $30 million innovation and jobs package for Cairns; $215 million for M1 upgrade in Queensland.

* It's not privatising Medicare. Full stop.

WHAT LABOR TALKED ABOUT:

* Election a referendum on Medicare.

* A Liberal candidate should be disendorsed over "invasion day" comments.

WHAT MADE NEWS:

* The PM seizes on the 28th turnback of an asylum-seeker boat to warn Australia can't risk Labor giving people smugglers an inch.

* Labor has used the burden of healthcare costs on family budgets to bolster its Medicare scare campaign against the Turnbull government.

* Labor frontbencher Penny Wong insists straight politicians pushing for a plebiscite on same-sex marriage don't understand what it's like to be the target of hate.

* Business is warning whoever wins government on July 2 will have to fix up the culture of the building industry.

* The Greens want to impose a 20 per cent tax on soft drinks and fruit juices in a bid to address growing childhood obesity.

THEY SAID WHAT?

"Some people do drugs when they're young - I joined the Liberal Club. Both are harmful in different ways."

- Senator Nick Xenophon on his misspent youth.

TWEETED:

Shorten won't expand on who he visited a strip club with, where or when it was. #ausvotes - Rob Harris @rharris334