Mr Morrison visited Launceston on Saturday where he praised the performance of the Tasmanian government and believed it would help the Coalition win the crucial seats of Lyons, Braddon and Bass.

The prime minister launched the campaign office of Bass candidate Bridget Archer, where he took every opportunity to compliment the Tasmanian government in front of a number of government ministers.

Labor holds Braddon by 2.2 per cent, Lyons by 2.3 per cent and Bass by 6.1 per cent, and given the likelihood of Coalition losses in Melbourne and Sydney, picking up those seats was essential.

Mr Morrison told The Examiner he took hope in Tasmania despite poor nationwide polling.

“The same thing could’ve been said about Will Hodgman going into his last election,” he said.

“What I thought the state government demonstrated was that, in Tasmania - which I think has been the real turnaround state under Will - what was done at that election I think was a recognition of where Tasmania was heading, and the people wanted to keep heading in that direction.

“The partnership we have formed with the Tasmanian government has been a very strong one, it’s worked very well for Tassie.”

Mr Morrison made a forestry announcement near Burnie on Saturday morning, then flew to Launceston to attend the campaign office opening on Invermay Road. He flew back to the North-West afterwards where he will spend Sunday morning.

When asked about the protracted public sector dispute in Tasmania, Mr Morrison said he was focused on creating private sector jobs in forestry, agriculture and tourism in northern Tasmania.

He said sluggish wage growth – particularly apparent in Tasmania – would be addressed by a “stronger economy” and that “people aren’t better off by taxing them more”.

Mr Morrison was quick to point to a looming budget surplus, but when asked if this could lead to an increase in the aged pension or Newstart, he instead said it would be put towards schools and hospitals.

Liberal Party candidate for Bass Bridget Archer and Mr Morrison were both keen to push jobs growth in Launceston and northern Tasmania, with Ms Archer claiming she had never seen greater business confidence.

“You’ve only got to look around in Launceston to see that we’ve never seen the levels of optimism and confidence that we have in Launceston in my lifetime,” she said.

“The investment, and private investment and development going on in Launceston, is testament to the business confidence.”

The Prime Minister raised increasing bulk billing rates in Bass as a success, although it remains difficult to find a bulk billing GP in Launceston.

Ms Archer said she believed the service was available.

“I think there are clinics that do bulk bill. Whether there are clinics that bulk bill exclusively, I think is another question,” she said.

“Certainly there is that facility available for Tasmanians that need it.”

Bass Labor MP Ross Hart said it was difficult to make a comparison between the electoral approach of the Hodgman Government – which he claimed was “smaller L liberal” – and the Morrison Government – which he called “hard right”.

“Some of the commentators have suggested that the reason why the Hodgman Government did well was that it positioned itself as a middle of the road, smaller L liberal government, as opposed to a hard right, anti-renewable government,” he said.

“There’s a big difference in the philosophy that the Hodgman Government put to the electorate.”

Mr Hart said it would have been more beneficial for the Prime Minister to meet Launceston residents who were struggling with cost-of-living pressures, struggling to find housing, or who had recently been evicted from housing.

“I had four days in a row where it was necessary for me to write to the Housing Minister about people about to become homeless, and needing access to housing,” he said.

“They were people with children, young children, and in employment too. One in public housing was given a notice to vacate due to renovations.”