Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will live in the emerald city instead of Australia’s coldest capital if he wins the May 3 federal election.

Choosing a main residence is one of the first decisions a prime minister must make after winning government.

It is traditionally The Lodge, a Georgian revival-style manor in Canberra’s leafy southern suburbs. But in recent years, Kirribilli House, a gothic-style mansion with gun barrel views of Sydney’s gleaming harbour from its wealthy lower north, has become more popular – particularly with Liberal PMs.

For Dutton, it’s a no-brainer.

“If you’ve got a choice between Kirribilli or living in Canberra and The Lodge, it takes Sydney any day over Canberra,” he told the Kyle and Jackie O radio show on Monday.

“We love Sydney, love the harbour.

“It’s a great city.”

A prime minister’s main residence has long been viewed as a reflection of their priorities. Previous Liberal PMs John Howard and Scott Morrison used Kirribilli as their main residence, although they stayed at The Lodge when in Canberra.

Tony Abbott also lived at Kirribilli – because The Lodge was being renovated. Malcolm Turnbull lived in his own harbourside home in Sydney until the renovations were finished, moving into The Lodge in 2016.

Kevin Rudd lived in The Lodge, as did Julia Gillard for part of her prime-ministership.

In a duel of rival radio shows, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared on Nova FM on Monday, where he was quick to say  Dutton “showed a fair bit of hubris” with his Kirribilli decision.

“The prime minister’s residence, of course, is The Lodge. Not Kirribilli,” he said.

Dutton’s choice appears to mirror the Coalition’s disdain for the Canberra-based public service, which he has committed to slashing by as many as 41,000 jobs.

Upon his election in 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed he would live at The Lodge full-time as he felt it was important to spend as much time in Canberra as possible.

Mosque distances itself from Dutton

Elsewhere, Muslim leaders from a mosque toured by Dutton have distanced themself from him as debate about his migration policy heats up.

Dutton pledged $25,000 for CCTV and security for the Al Madinah Mosque in Leppington on Sunday, but leaders later wrote to him saying his visit shouldn’t be seen as “an endorsement of any sort” and asked for an apology.

The letter, reported by The Daily Telegraph, referred to Dutton’s previous remarks about Lebanese-Australians and a lack of condemnation of Islamophobic incidents in contrast to his strong rhetoric on antisemitism.

The leaders said Dutton’s visit was an opportunity for them to share their views about the challenges Australian Muslims faced so he could come up with appropriate policies.

They also called for a public apology for his comments about some Lebanese-Muslim migration being a mistake.

Asked on Monday about the letter and whether he would publicly apologise, Dutton didn’t respond directly but said all communities and places of worship deserved safety.

“The point that I’ve made consistently through my career is that people should be able to live in our country, in our society, particularly in the 21st century, peacefully and with freedom,” he said in the Hunter Valley.

“I don’t tolerate attacks on mosques, not on churches, not on temples, not on any place of worship.”

The Liberals’ rhetoric on the war in Gaza, including a call to block all refugees coming from the strip, has put a large chunk of Muslim, Palestinian and Middle Eastern communities offside.

Dutton’s pledge to cut permanent migration by 25 per cent – although he is yet to fully detail it – also has some feeling as if multicultural communities are being used as a scapegoat for infrastructure and housing shortages.

Health top of mind as PM heads west

Albanese, meanwhile, was wooing voters in Western Australia with a major health announcement on Monday.

Though Labor has a strong base in the state, Albanese was visiting for his 30th time as PM to try to sandbag support early in the campaign.

“I get enthused by meeting Australians and getting out and about and representing this amazing country,” he told ABC radio.

“I’ve been to WA 30 times, I’m in the 20s when it comes to South Australia and Tasmania, I’m in the teens when it comes to visits to Northern Territory.”

Albanese has worked hard to curry favour with WA voters, even allegedly scuppering his own environment minister’s deal with the Greens after a call with Premier Roger Cook.

In March, voters rewarded Labor with a landslide state election result.

Most federal seats in WA are expected to stay in Labor’s hands. A battle is expected in the new electorate of Bullwinkel and the party hopes to wrestle the marginal seat of Moore from the Liberals.

Albanese joined Cook in Perth on Monday to announce an election pledge of $200 million to redevelop the St John of God Midland Public Hospital. The state government will cover the rest of the cost of the $355 million upgrade.

Framing the election as a choice to protect Medicare, Labor is expected to make further health-related announcements.

Labor has previously announced $8.5 billion in funding to strengthen Medicare and make nine out of 10 GP visits free by the end of the decade.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to match that funding, with an additional $500 million commitment to boost mental health support.

-with AAP