Labor is hoping the upcoming federal election will be the third time's a charm for Ali France, who will attempt to unseat Peter Dutton from his Queensland seat.
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As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continued his tour of the battleground state on Friday, he unveiled Ms France as the Labor candidate for the Brisbane seat of Dickson.
Ms France, who ran for the seat in the 2019 and 2022 elections, came within 1.7 per cent of winning Dickson from the coalition leader at the last federal poll.
The upcoming election, due to be held by May 2025, will be the first time Mr Dutton will contest the seat as opposition leader.
Ms France is a strong campaigner and community advocate, Mr Albanese said.
"It's time that Dickson had someone who would actually stand up for their interests, not just stand up for themselves," he told reporters.
"Ali France has shown herself to be someone of compassion, someone of strength, someone of intellect and in integrity, and someone who will be an outstanding representative in Dickson."
At the 2022 poll Ms France recorded a swing towards her of 2.94 per cent, leaving Mr Dutton with a razor-thin margin.
"If she gets that (swing again), she will be the member for Dickson," Mr Albanese told Brisbane radio station 4BC.
Mr Dutton, who's held the Brisbane electorate since 2001, is looking to secure a ninth term in federal parliament.
Ms France warned against the coalition's plan to build nuclear power plants in seven sites across the county, should the opposition win the election.
"I haven't spoken to anyone in Dickson yet too wants a great, big nuclear power station on their doorstep," she told reporters.
"That is going to require our previous drinking water from Wivenhoe (Dam) to run."
Mr Dutton said he wasn't concerned about the prime minister campaigning on his home turf.
"People, as they meet the prime minister, they'll work out he's not a bad person, but just that he's a bad prime minister," he told Nine's Today program.
"The government just hasn't got any better as they've got further into this term, and they've made decisions in three budgets now that are hurting people in my electorate, but right across the country."
The Dickson announcement comes after the prime minister unveiled the Labor candidate for the nearby electorate of Ryan, where Rebecca Hack will seek to unseat the Greens' Elizabeth Watson-Brown.
Labor also announced Rowan Holzberger will run in the seat of Forde, in Brisbane's outer suburbs, held by the LNP's Bert van Manen.
Mr Albanese dampened speculation the candidate announcements meant an early election was on the cards.
"Three-year (terms are) too short ... but we're just making sure that we're prepared and that everything is in place," he told 4BC.
"We'll make sure that our candidates are on the ground talking with people about issues of concern and we want to make sure that we're ready for an election."
Australian Associated Press
