Leaders brush off housing policy criticisms; Liberals release diss track; and Labor smoothes over awkward greeting

Hello readers, and welcome to today’s election edition of Afternoon Update.

We’ve made it to the third week of the campaign, which kicked off with interrogation of the major housing and cost-of-living policies announced by Labor and the Coalition over the weekend.

Both parties have accused each other of leaning on costly “sugar hit” announcements to lure voters, while an expert says the plans would exacerbate the problem they say they are trying to solve.

Anthony Albanese started the day in Adelaide, showing off his meal prepping skills with South Australia’s premier before flying to Hobart, while Peter Dutton was in Brisbane, eyeing off the marginal Greens seat of Ryan.

And a third and final debate between the leaders has been announced, to run on Channel Seven on 27 April. (The pair’s second debate will air on the ABC this Wednesday.)

Dutton has bought and sold 26 pieces of property worth $30m across his adult life, but it will be “almost impossible” for his younger son and daughter to buy a home in the near future, despite “saving like mad”.

That’s according to Harry Dutton, who appeared alongside his dad in hi-vis on Monday at a new housing estate in north-western Brisbane. Asked why the bank of mum and dad wouldn’t give the 20-year-old a leg-up, the opposition leader replied that he hadn’t finished the “excellent points” he was making.

Both leaders brushed off criticism from economists that their duelling housing policies would drive up prices.

Meanwhile, the Greens launched an election plan in the prime minister’s seat of Grayndler to make university and Tafe free, a priority they say they will push for in the instance of a minority government.

And we have a deep dive into Labor’s hold on the Melbourne seats of Macnamara and Wills, where Jewish and Muslim communities are unhappy with the government’s position – though for opposite reasons.

“I brought out my wand this morning so I can bring in those tradies. I’m just gonna pull it out of my backside.”

Politicians love props. Jacqui Lambie was not impressed by Labor and the Coalition’s sweeping housing policies. Cue a long stick, which the independent senator for Tasmania brought out on Sky News, describing it as a “wand” to conjure the tradies that would be required to build more homes.

Lambie also said she was “scared” of the prospect of Labor working with the Greens in the instance of an Albanese-led minority government, urging the party to stay in the centre or risk “blowing out the economy”.

I’m sorry, readers, but we have entered the diss track stage of the election campaign. The Liberal party uploaded their hip-hop tune, Leaving Labor to SoundCloud on Monday morning, with cover art that looks eerily similar to that on Drake’s 2021 Certified Lover Boy album.

Asked about the track, Albanese said the Liberal campaign tactics were “beyond my comprehension”.

Guardian Australia understands the party engaged a commercial artist to produce the song, which includes the lyrics “it ain’t the way that it’s supposed to be, the money we’re spending on groceries, I just want to buy some eggs and cheese, 100 bucks you kidding me”.

The last SoundCloud track released by the account, which has 66 followers, was a “club remix” of the notorious There’s a Hole in Your Budget, Dear Labor.