The party’s federal MPs for the territory gathered at the University of Canberra on Monday for the event, with numerous supporters wearing campaign T-shirts.

The event piggybacked off the announcement of $10million for the second stage of UC’s sports hub, a new sport and health research, training and administration facility.

The money has been allocated in the budget under the regional development program.

Work on the first stage of the project is under way and will include new headquarters for the Brumbies.

Former Brumbies and Wallabies star Joe Roff, the chief executive of the University of Canberra Union, said the new hub would help develop grassroots sporting talent. ‘‘[They] will be inspired by some of the people that are working here, like Carrie Graf, David Pocock, Dick Telford, and have an inspirational and educational experience,’’ he said.

Kate Lundy was joined at the event by the member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann, the member for Fraser Andrew Leigh, the member for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly, Senator Lundy’s running mate on the Senate ticket, Chris Sant, and the Labor candidate for Hume, Michael Pilbrow.

Senator Lundy said the major theme of Labor’s campaign in the ACT would be that it had been able to provide a stable economy for the territory.

‘‘We’re here today to remind people of the damage the Liberals have done in the past and what we need to be concerned about in the future were they to be successful,’’ she said.

‘‘The characteristic of today’s launch is all positive.

‘‘We’ve just announced $10million for the sports hub here at UC, which will serve the whole region.

‘‘This is the character of federal Labor – we make long-term investments with our eye on a strong vision for the future and that vision is for a healthy, dynamic community, fully integrated with the region but leveraging our comparative strengths with the university.’’

Dr Leigh said the ACT campaign would be based around ‘‘a pretty simple message – the Liberals are bad for Canberra, Labor is good for Australia’’.

UC vice-chancellor Stephen Parker said the funding decision had been made before the caretaker period began, and he was unfazed by the influx of Labor politicians.

‘‘I think one accepts that during a campaign period politicians naturally want to attract profile in relation to their decisions,’’ he said.

‘‘The campus is obviously apolitical and we have other political parties making speeches, booking premises, we’ve got debates on campus, so I regard this as part of our vibrant democracy which we’re happy to participate in.’’

The university recently began work on the first stage of the sports hub, which attracted $15 million in funding.

‘‘When this vision is complete, it will be a huge sporting complex with research, academic, community and sporting facilities which Canberra and the university can be really proud of,’’ Professor Parker said.

‘‘Because it is already the home of an elite sporting team, the Brumbies, we’re hoping to attract other elite teams as well as community teams.’’