This, ironically, is almost an exact repeat of what happened during 2019's last "unlosable election" when Bill Shorten appeared to take it for granted he would be moving his toothbrush into the Lodge months ahead of polling day.

That's why, given last week's less than stellar performance, it wasn't a good idea for Mr Albanese to say that if elected he would dump Philip Gaetjens as secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet - even though that is a given.

Voters don't take kindly to would-be leaders talking about rearranging the furniture before the people get to say whether or not they will be taking up residence.

While no special significance should be read into Mr Albanese being booed as well as cheered at the Byron Bay Blues Festival on Sunday night - after all this happens at footy grand finals all the time - it generated negative video footage when the Opposition Leader was already looking shaky.

Elections are won and lost on images and defining moments. Think handshakes and Mark Latham and birthday cakes and John Hewson. The pictures of Mr Albanese stumbling in Launceston on Monday and being booed in Byron on Sunday are, rightly or wrongly, going to get a lot of airplay between now and May 21.

The impact of Labor's poor start is already being felt with recent polling confirming a significant bounce for the government - especially Mr Morrison as the preferred Prime Minister - at Labor's, and Mr Albanese's, expense.

Mr Albanese, who snuck ahead of the PM on this key metric earlier this month, has slipped back seven points to 30 per cent. Mr Morrison, on the other hand, is up one point to 38 per cent.

Many of those who formerly supported Mr Albanese are now in the "uncommitted" camp which has blown out to 27 per cent. Given the undecideds seeming to be breaking in Mr Morrison's direction that is not good news for Labor.

The ALP's primary vote is also dropping, falling from 38 per cent a fortnight ago to 34 per cent.

The LNP has only managed to pick up one per cent, rising from 34 per cent to 35 per cent. A hung parliament is very much on the cards.

While the Liberals also had problems with fallout from transphobic comments attributed to a high profile candidate and the PM's refusal to committing to an ICAC in the next term if elected, Labor's woes put the focus on the economy, border security and defence.

Even when the ALP did bring the discussion back to its policy agenda things did not always turn out well. The party has now rolled out policies on aged care, critical care GP clinics and melanoma clinics that all require more nurses and doctors. It hasn't been able to say how many extra qualified staff would be needed or where they would come from.

The main difference between the LNP and the ALP right now is that while the former, especially Mr Morrison, has been in training for this since 2019 thanks to the intense media scrutiny he has endured day after day, Labor, and Mr Albanese, appear to have fluffed the pre-game preparation.

Mr Albanese comes across as having been unprepared, both in being across his brief and in handling the campaign stress, to present himself as the alternative Prime Minister. He now faces the challenge of getting himself, and his party, focused and fit before the final quarter begins.

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