As Prime Minister Scott Morrison did the rounds of the media from Penrith in Sydney's west, Labor Leader Bill Shorten wasn't far away at the Sydney markets.
Their decision to kick off the campaign in earnest in western Sydney surprised some who thought the leaders would head straight from the "Canberra bubble" to Queensland or Victoria where there are more seats in play.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits the Gulf Western Oil company at St Mary's in Sydney. Source: AAP
Political influence
With a multicultural population of 2.15 million people, the greater western Sydney region alone is bigger and more complex than most Australian cities.
It's long been influential on the political fortunes of the major parties at the federal level, and while this time there are fewer seats in play in the region this time, the region retains significant symbolic power.
Expect to see a lot of high-vis on the campaign trail. Source: AAP
"Western Sydney has that symbolic impact for leaders as the battleground part of the country," Western Sydney University Assistant Vice-Chancellor Andy Marks told SBS News.
"Western Sydney is a place where all the big ticket issues like congestion, infrastructure, development and healthcare all play out in a very concentrated space and it’s a dynamic space because it’s the fastest growing in Australia."
What electorates are up for grabs?
Mr Morrison was promising to bust congestion at a busy Penrith intersection, before heading to an oil company in nearby St Marys.
Both are in the electorate of Lindsay, which is shaping up as an intriguing contest with sitting Labor MP Emma Husar bowing out of politics.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison surrounded by journalists and camera operators during a visit to an oil company in St Mary's, Sydney. Source: AAP
Mr Morrison hopes his visit could boost Liberal candidate Melissa McIntosh's chances of overcoming a 1.1 per cent margin to defeat Labor's Diane Beamer, a former NSW state minister.
On the other side of western Sydney, Bill Shorten was up early to meet workers at the Sydney markets in the electorate of Reid.
With the departure of locally-popular Liberal MP Craig Laundy, Labor has a strong chance of snatching the seat.
But it's clear Mr Shorten has some work to do to raise his own profile.
At the flower market, two women who shook Mr Shorten's hand later told AAP they had no idea who he was.
What are the issues in western Sydney?
At the market, many workers had tax relief on their mind as well as the trustworthiness of their representatives.
"I've been a Liberal man all my life, and what's going on in the party, that's not normal behaviour," one man told SBS News, explaining why he would be voting Labor this time around.
"The election is coming up, of course they're going to say there are going to be tax cuts, but who knows what's going to happen," another man said.
Dr Marks said there was a lot of interest in a strong economy, but many constituents were not feeling the benefits in their wallets.
"The economy cuts through, but the trick will be who can best articulate questions of the economy in a way that addresses that phantom issue called cost of living," he said.
In these incredibly diverse electorates, Dr Marks said politicians need to genuinely embrace multiculturalism.
"We saw in the NSW election, Labor were punished in very select seats over (former Opposition Leader) Michael Daley’s comments on Asian immigration and I think we will see both parties be quite careful not to go into that kind of regressive policy and political language."
