What they said on Day 21 of the campaign

WHAT THEY SAID ON DAY 21 OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

THE BEST LINE

"A vote for Malcolm Turnbull is a vote to abolish capitalism: that's what they'll be saying if they give preferences to my Greens Party opponent."

- Labor stalwart Anthony Albanese has his argument ready if the Liberals and Greens do a deal in his seat of Grayndler.

PRIME MINISTER MALCOLM TURNBULL

"A good discussion, that's what it's all about. A very good discussion about the big issues at stake."

- Appearing casual about the prospect of debating the opposition leader.

LABOR LEADER BILL SHORTEN

"I don't know, I would have to go and check with my financial people."

- Unsure whether Labor has submitted a schoolkids bonus policy for costing.

THE SECOND XI

"I think that people always watch leaders' debate because they want to see who they want to lead their country. It is the compare and contrast opportunity."

- Minister Steve Ciobo keenly anticipating the leaders' match-up on Sunday evening.

"They're not angry with Malcolm Turnbull, they're disappointed with Malcolm Turnbull."

- Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese, on what he thinks voters think.

"It's a bit much when the treasurer and finance minister of a nation think it was a really clever strategy to prove they couldn't add up."

- Opposition finance spokesman Tony Burke is amused.

OUTSIDE EXPERTS

"Unravelling the freeze is not a solution to the underfunding of general practice. We need to do so much better."

- Newly elected Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon on the freeze to the Medicare rebate for doctors.

"If we were talking about resources or agriculture, the government of either side would not be faffing around with us in the kind of way that governments have been faffing around with higher education in this country for a very long time."

- University of Sydney vice-chancellor and Group of Eight chairman Michael Spence