Election 2016: Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten hit the campaign trail

• 12:02pm on 9 May 2016

And that's it from me for the day. What happened?

• Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made three stops in Brisbane;
• he spoke of the Coalition's economic plans and its new policy on internships;
• Labor leader Bill Shorten has just arrived in Cairns;
• Mr Shorten will visit a school as he emphasises Labor's education policies;
• immigration has already become an issue with one Labor candidate criticising the party's policy;
• this gave Immigration Minister Peter Dutton an easy attack line as he urged people to remember the Coalition's track record on border protection.

I'm signing off to work a new project - a campaign newsletter that will be sent out every afternoon. I will not be blogging every day of the campaign. I did in 2013 and some days were, shall we say, easier than others. But I will be with you for campaign launches, debates, election day and other major events.

You can also follow me on Facebook for regular updates throughout the day.

Andrew Meares, Alex Ellinghausen and I will be back soon. See you on the hustings.

• 11:55am on 9 May 2016

It's not even throwback Thursday:

• 11:42am on 9 May 2016

Meanwhile Labor leader Bill Shorten has arrived in Cairns and is on his way to his first appearance of the day. 

Campaigns are all about optics and stamina. (Not jokes about Bussy McBusface, okay?)

• 11:40am on 9 May 2016

Mr Turnbull has completed his third campaign stop for the day and the team will now retire for the afternoon and spend the night in Brisbane.

• 11:36am on 9 May 2016

Mr Dutton says the 23 year old Somali woman who said last year she was raped on Nauru has given birth to a baby.

He defends the timing of his update saying he would have done it regardless of the campaign: "We make an announcement on these matters when it is operationally sensible to do so."

Mr Dutton says the situation of the 750 people on Manus Island should take "a couple of months" to resolve.

And that's it for Mr Dutton.

• 11:32am on 9 May 2016

Mr Dutton pounces on the comments of Labor candidate Sophie Ismail (see 10.29 am post) and says she is now the seventh Labor MP or candidate to criticise the party's immigration policy.

Mr Dutton says Labor is divided and Mr Shorten should rebuke the people who criticise policy. He says Labor maintains support for the Coalition's policies while in opposition but acts differently when it is in government.

• 11:29am on 9 May 2016

Mr Dutton confirms three boatloads of asylum seekers tried to reach Australia this year.

One group of 12 people was returned to Sri Lanka opn Friday (you may remember on budget night there were reports of a boat near Cocos Island the day before).

• 11:25am on 9 May 2016

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton is giving an update on Operation Sovereign Borders. 

He pulls no punches: "If you elect a Turnbull government at the next election we will stare down the people smugglers....Labor can make no such claim."

• 11:16am on 9 May 2016

Heath Aston and Andrew Meares are travelling with Mr Turnbull this week.

Heath has recorded this little video of what it's like to accompany Mr Turnbull on an early morning campaign stop. (Heath went to the Lars von Trier film making school which explains the slightly shaky camera work.)

• 11:03am on 9 May 2016

Earlier this morning Parliament was officially dissolved.

A short ceremony was held at 9 am at Parliament House dealing with the necessary requirements. The Governor-General's proclamation was signed in the marble foyer. It was then read outside the entry to the building by Sir Peter's secretary, Mark Fraser, and placed on a ceremonial stand in the Member's Hall.

• 10:48am on 9 May 2016

The glamour of the campaign trail.

• 10:32am on 9 May 2016

All of this comes as Immigration Minister Peter Dutton prepares to give an update on Operation Sovereign Borders in about an hour's time.

• 10:30am on 9 May 2016

You don't need me to tell you the issue is difficult for Labor which faces a barrage of Coalition messaging to the electorate about its strength in this particular policy area.

Ms Ismail has since tweeted a link to the story which will probably play well for her in her own race but might not be so good for her team overall.

• 10:29am on 9 May 2016

Labor candidate Sophie Ismail has contradicted her party's asylum seeker policies, outlining concerns about boat turn backs and offshore detention on Manus Island and Nauru. 

Ms Ismail, who faces a tough fight to win back the prized seat of Melbourne from the Greens' Adam Bandt, vowed to be a progressive voice inside the ALP caucus in the mould of retiring Fremantle MP Melissa Parke and suggested Australia may be in breach of its international legal obligations by processing asylum seekers on Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

• 10:17am on 9 May 2016

There are perks to being Infrastructure Minister. Such as being able to campaign in front of "big" things. Definitely makes for a more lively back drop:

• 9:50am on 9 May 2016

Also out and about this morning is Tony Abbott who has been greeting commuters at the Manly ferry terminal. 

And yes, points to the person who wondered why he is there when he said he wanted to stop the boats.

Jokes aside, I would have thought any colleagues concerned about Mr Abbott going rogue during the campaign would be heartened by his actions this morning. And possibly dropped over an umbrella.

• 9:42am on 9 May 2016

Mr Turnbull is asked why he did not mention climate change yesterday. He says he spoke for too long.

"Climate change is very important," Mr Turnbull says and adds that the Coalition's policy is "very good".

"We have moved from ideology in the climate change debate to one of practical outcomes."

• 9:37am on 9 May 2016

"We'll be talking about out national economic plan every single day," Mr Turnbull promises people.

Mr Shorten is "standing in the road of enterprise".

"As you reduce business taxes you will get more investment and more employment."

• 9:33am on 9 May 2016

Mr Turnbull is holding his first press conference where he is talking about the youth internships program announced in last week's budget.

Mr Turnbull describes it as "a bit of hand holding" that will help young people who lack confidence or training to find work.

• 9:32am on 9 May 2016

Labor leader Bill Shorten is in the air on his way to Townsville, where he will visit a school, and then Cairns. 

Mr Turnbull is in Brisbane in the seat of Petrie, the Coalition's most marginal seat which is holds by only 0.5 per cent.