01:37

Checking in from Townsville. The North Ward shopping centre was chosen for Bill Shorten’s first street walk. It is the suburb of North Ward and has been recently redeveloped with a larger supermarket and all the usual chemists, discount stores and coffee shops. Shorten walked through the centre surrounded by a pack of media, greeting daunted shoppers in the camera lights.

Indigenous woman Patricia Dallachy from Charters Towers had her most important issue front of mind. She was fighting for diabetes medication, given she only two days left in her supply. Shorten assigned a staff member to follow up. Jenny Gaylard, shopping centre manager, told Shorten the biggest issue in Townsville was unemployment. She said her son in law was unemployed, while her son was on short term contacts with no job security. “He’s 27, he would like to have a house, get married and have children, but there is no security.” Her daughter is in the vocational training centre, which she said has been hit by cutbacks. She said she would assess the policies. She rejected the tag swinging voter. “I like to think I think about the policies and whether they suit the times”.

Former Townsville councillor and life long Labor voter Jim Gleeson turned up to shake Shorten’s hand. “People are hurting, they must never forget that. People are hurting big time. As I say, never forget the battler.