South Australia’s election campaign is officially under way after Premier Peter Malinauskas and Deputy Premier formally received the writs from Government House, signalling the 28-day countdown to the 21 March state election.

The criticism follows a series of cultural and religious messages from the Prime Minister this week, including extending “Happy Lunar New Year” wishes to the Chinese community.

The Prime Minister also addressed the newly opened Burnie Urgent Care Clinic, part of a national network now serving more than two million patients.

"Jacinta Price’s comments about Australians of Indian heritage were wrong and are just as offensive today as they were the first time she said them.”

Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) estimates the project will see around $30 billion invested over the next decades, creating nearly 10,000 jobs in South Australia alone.

Liberal leader Angus Taylor argued migration should serve the national interest and insisted that newcomers must embrace Australia’s democratic system, rule of law and fundamental freedoms.

A key part of the negotiation was $2 billion designed to help hospitals move more than 3,000 patients stranded in hospital waiting for discharge to a more appropriate aged-care facility.

Across the country, about 18,000 people were expected to become Australian citizens on January 26, hailing from nations including India, New Zealand, Turkey, the United States, Nigeria, Malaysia, Nepal and the United Kingdom.

Albanese linked the reforms directly to the Bondi attack, saying “terrorists had hate in their hearts, but they had guns in their hands”, arguing the government had acted with “urgency and unity” to address both.

“The Opposition are so obsessed with opposing things, they’ve now begun to oppose themselves.”