Day 46 of the federal election campaign

FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN: DAY 46

WHERE THE LEADERS CAMPAIGNED:

* Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: Geelong, in the marginal Liberal seat of Corangamite.

* Labor leader Bill Shorten: Adelaide, in the Labor seat held by Kate Ellis but under threat from the Nick Xenophon Team.

WHAT THE COALITION TALKED ABOUT:

* How it plans to back CFA volunteers in their row with the firefighters union and Andrews government.

* The three pillars of border protection and why Labor can't be trusted to stop the boats.

* We're not privatising Medicare. Full stop.

WHAT LABOR TALKED ABOUT:

* Its economic growth plan for South Australia.

* Defending Medicare is in the national interest.

WHAT MADE NEWS:

* PM challenges Shorten to match coalition pledge to safeguard the rights of volunteer firefighters in Victoria.

* Shorten warns the Irish experience provides a lesson to Australia about the dangers of a plebiscite on same-sex marriage.

* Cabinet minister Peter Dutton is refusing to be intimidated by outlaw motorcycle gang members campaigning against him in his Brisbane seat.

* Labor says confidential vaccination records of school children should not be allowed in private hands.

* Shorten demands PM call off the "attack dogs" in the seat of Cowan.

THEY SAID WHAT?

"If nothing else, this will be remembered as the longest campaign in Australian political history."

- Greens leader Richard Di Natale.

TWEETED:

@GrahamPerrettMP: "This, my 5th election as a candidate, is easily the grubbiest & nastiest it has ever been in #Moreton Such a shame."