Little focus on Tas in campaign week one

Although Bill Shorten was in Tasmania for the day the election was called, the island state attracted little political attention during the first week of the campaign.

The Labor leader was in Beauty Point, in northern Tasmania, primarily to catch up with Beaconsfield mine survivors Brant Webb and Todd Russell ahead of the 10th anniversary of their rescue.

But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the election, and he made his formal response to double-dissolution election.

On the deck of a waterfront pub at Beauty Point in northern Tasmania last Sunday, Mr Shorten opened his election campaign declaring the July 2 poll was not a choice about political personalities, but rather what sort of Australia voters want to live in.

He then headed inside for a couple of drinks with Mr Webb and Mr Russell, before spending most of the rest of the week in Queensland.

None of the leaders made it to Tasmania, where several seats are up for grabs, in the first week of the eight-week campaign.

Instead, it was left to senior frontbenchers to start wooing Tasmanian voters.

WHO CAMPAIGNED?

MONDAY

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek was in Hobart (Denison) and Launceston (Bass), talking budget cuts and childcare policy.

WEDNESDAY

Treasurer Scott Morrison in Launceston: selling the federal budget.

Arts Minister Mitch Fifield announces $427,875 over three years for a touring exhibition by the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

Labor Senator Kim Carr committed a Shorten government to direct the CSIRO to stop job cuts.

THURSDAY

Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King visits Launceston to announce Labor's plan to continue and increase funding for national prostate cancer specialist nurses.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield promotes Tasmania's unquantified share of $60 million funding as part of the national mobile blackspot program.