If they haven't switched off completely, many Australians are looking forward to the end of the marathon eight-week federal election campaign - but not Christopher Pyne.  The cabinet minister from South Australia is relishing the fight, telling the TODAY Show today: "I don't want it to end. It's the best time of my life".  Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese doesn't share his enthusiasm with eight days to go, saying he is looking forward to being on the home front next week in the lead up to polling day.  Mr Albanese defended opposition leader Bill Shorten and his continued claims the Coalition, if elected, would privatise Medicare; claims that have been largely regarded as fear-mongering.  "Have a look at what they're doing, not just what they're saying," Mr Albanese said.  "What they're doing is freezing the Medicare rebate so that people get off bulk-billing so that people go to, essentially, to a private system instead of the public system.  "What we know is, Whitlam created Medibank, the Liberals got rid of it, Hawke brought it back, the Liberals have tried to undermine it, it's part of their DNA."  Mr Pyne said any changes to Medicare would be done "in-house using the Digital Transformation Office" and that the issue was whether or not the Australian public wanted "a prime minister who tells lies all the time," in reference to Mr Shorten.  "He's been exposed as being a liar about privatising Medicare."  Mr Albanese said there was a controversial divide in Australian politics and that "the conservative forces in this country don't support" public health, education or broadcasters.
An enthusiastic Christopher Pyne has declared he doesn't want the election campaign to end, despite many colleagues thinking eight weeks is long enough.