Week 1 of the federal election campaign

WEEK 1 OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

WHERE THE LEADERS CAMPAIGNED:

* Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: Labor seats of Moreton, Lilley (QLD) and Hotham (VIC); coalition marginal seats of Bonner, Petrie, Forde (QLD), Lindsay (NSW), Reid (NSW), Dunkley (VIC) and Boothby (SA).

* Labor leader Bill Shorten: Coalition marginals of Leichhardt, Herbert, Dawson, Capricornia (QLD), Reid (NSW); Labor-held Griffith (QLD).

* Head to head in a televised forum of 100 swinging voters in western Sydney.

THE POLLS

* Newspoll and Essential: Labor leads coalition 51-49 per cent; Fairfax-Ipsos, Morgan, Galaxy 50-50.

* The economy is the number one election campaign issue with 250,000 respondents to the ABC's Vote Compass website. Other top issues include education, health care, the environment, retirement/seniors, and immigration/asylum seekers.

WHAT THE COALITION WANTED TO TALK ABOUT:

Its grand plan to create jobs and growth as Australia transitions from the mining boom to the new economy.

WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT:

Schools, schools, schools, schools.

WHAT THEY WERE FORCED TO TALK ABOUT

* Coalition: The PM's business past, and his association with a tax haven company named in the Panama Papers; savage criticism from its own supporter base about changes the superannuation tax concessions; Peta Credlin's unsolicited campaign advice.

* Labor: Candidates who previously opposed the party's asylum-seeker policy; Chris Brown, disendorsed for the seat of Fremantle for failing to reveal 20 year-old convictions.

PROMISES, PROMISES, PROMISES

Coalition: $40 million for a new rail link in Adelaide.

Labor: $100m to build a new stadium in Townsville for the NRL Cowboys by 2020; $100m for indigenous teacher scholarships; $400 million to encourage graduates to become science, technology, engineering and maths teachers; a budget review within 100 days of winning government.

BEST LINE

"It is going to absolutely knock the stuffing out of all of us. It is going to infuriate, bore, send people crazy, ultimately." - Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce warns voters about the eight-week campaign.

REAL PEOPLE

"I don't care what you do to me, but give the kids a chance, give them a fighting chance." - Single mum Melinda tells the PM in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabin.

YOU TUBED

A video showing Tony Abbott's first day of the campaign only got worse when a disgruntled commuter told him: "You are a homophobic dinosaur, why don't you f*ck off and die."