One of the first high commissioners to Solomon Islands has attempted to approach Scott Morrison in northern Tasmania, but claims he was "manhandled" by the prime minister's security.
Mr Morrison was visiting a cafe in the seat of Lyons on Thursday afternoon when Trevor Sofield tried to speak to him several times about Australia's relationship with the South Pacific.
Mr Sofield was the high commissioner to Solomon Islands for four years in the 1980s.
Footage shows members of Mr Morrison's security detail stepping in to prevent the pair from speaking. The prime minister was rushed away from the venue.
"I was physically manhandled," he told reporters.
"This is an election. Surely you’ve got to be able to get access to the key actors in an election. This is meant to be a democracy."
Mr Sofield said he was a constituent of the electorate of Bass, and that Mr Morrison's party has lost his vote - criticising his government’s handling of diplomacy with the Pacific island nation.
"We have lost the plot in the South Pacific. And given that I have a degree of experience, I think I know what I’m talking about." he said.
"The prime minister’s party has lost my vote. I’m from the electorate of Bass. And because of the way in which they have totally mishandled our national strategic interests, I’m no longer voting for the Liberal Party."
Fallout over Solomon Islands' security deal with China has dominated the federal election campaign about the "lack of transparency" surrounding the agreement and "its implications for continuing regional security and stability".
The government has defended its handling of ties with Solomon Islands, while Labor .
SBS News has contacted the prime minister’s office and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for comment about the incident.
It comes as Mr Morrison has pledged more support for mental health funding during a visit to the ultra-marginal Tasmanian seat of Bass with the announcement prompting Liberal MP Bridget Archer to be questioned on the emotional toll the election campaign has placed on the transgender community.
Mr Morrison visited Launceston’s Head to Health centre alongside Ms Archer to announce a $45.6 million health spend backed by $9.4 million in state government investment.
Ms Archer, who holds the seat of Bass on the razor-thin margin of 0.4 per cent, revealed she herself had “suffered from poor mental health” during her life as she expressed her support for the response.
Liberal member for Bass Bridget Archer at a press conference after visiting the Launceston Head to Health facility. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
During a press conference, Ms Archer was questioned about her concerns for the mental health of the transgender community after the prime minister stood by Liberal candidate Katherine Deves, who recently defended her description of transgender children as “surgically mutilated and sterilised”.
“I will continue to state is when we talk about people, whether whoever they are, that we should do so with kindness,” Ms Archer said.
“We should do so, understanding that people are vulnerable and marginalised and I don't think it matters who people are we can who people are. We can all do better.”
Mr Morrison’s mental health funding pledge included $24.7 million for three new Head to Health clinics across Burnie, Devonport and outer Hobart.
Another $4.2 million will be spent on a headspace centre in the Hobart suburb of Rosny Park as well as $2.9 million for existing headspace centres.
In addition, $12.6 million will be used for three children’s mental health services within existing centres and $2.5 million for the Tasmanian government to set up three eating disorder day programs.
It also includes $5.2 million for aftercare services for people who have tried to take their own lives and $3 million for perinatal mental health screening.
Mr Morrison said he had made investing a mental health support a priority during his time in government.
“In a country like Australia with a government running its budget well and a strong economy we can make a big difference in this area and I really do believe we are,” he told reporters.
Mr Morrison was also met by a small group of protesters outside the Launceston centre.
Meanwhile, Opposition leader Anthony Albanese on Thursday headed to the regional Queensland city of Gladstone which is in the seat of Flynn, held by the Liberal-National party on an 8.7 per cent margin.
Mr Albanese visited the Northern Oil Refinery as he announced a plan to partner with the Queensland government to create a battery manufacturing precinct backed by $100 million in funding.
“We need to rebuild manufacturing in Australia,” he said.
“In Australia, we have the people, skills and resources to make batteries right here.”
Mr Albanese was also further pressed on wages, a central campaign issue. He indicated a Labor government would take its time to draft a submission to the Fair Work Commission if elected.
He was seen waving around a $1 coin in his press conference as a prop when questioned about the support he has expressed for 5.1 per cent increase to the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation.
“This is about whether those people on the minimum wage in Australia get a dollar — get a dollar increase,” he said.
The minimum wage is currently $20.33 per hour in Australia.
Mr Morrison has hit out at the federal opposition's minimum wage rise push as "reckless", despite both leaders saying the decision would be for the industrial umpire to make.
"We all want to see wages increase but I don't want to see reckless behaviour in how the process should work and this is where Mr Albanese has failed," he told reporters in Tasmania.
"He knows he got that wrong. He knows he acted recklessly, and he's been trying to cover his tracks ever since."
Mr Morrison has not put a figure on what an appropriate wage rise would be, but warned a rise and its flow-through effect on other wages could trigger higher inflation.
"Any potential support you might have got in wages would be clawed back in even higher interest rates and even higher inflation," he said.
"That's not how you manage an economy."
The Australian Council of Trade Unions wants the Fair Work Commission to increase the minimum hourly rate by 5.5 per cent to $21.35 while business proposes a 3 per cent lift.
