Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have hit the hustings in marginal seats across Queensland and Victoria to spruik their plans to boost jobs and the economy.
The prime minister's pitch focused on research jobs, visiting the must-keep Melbourne seat of Chisholm to announce $23 million for a cyclotron - a source of radioisotopes used to treat cancer and kidney disease.
"Once upon a time, this all used to go overseas, the researchers had to go overseas, the entrepreneurs had to go overseas," he said at the Australia Synchrotron research facility on Monday.
"What they're doing now is leading the world in so many specific areas, particularly having the opportunity for human beings to be able to get - here in this very facility - the most advanced X-ray machine for clinical patients anywhere in the world."
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was on the hustings in Perth, announcing a $1.25 billion loan to ASX-listed Iluka Resources to develop Australia's first integrated rare earths refinery in Western Australia.
"Demand for critical earths are on the rise - an expected 50-fold increase in demand by 2050, as the world electrifies, as we move to net-zero emissions." Mr Frydenberg told reporters.
"It's all about playing to our strengths, creating more jobs, securing our supply chains and securing Australia."
Mr Albanese appeared alongside Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to open Woolworths' $184 million distribution centre in Brisbane, and announce $200 million to widen the Bruce Highway in the city's north to eight lanes.
Mr Morrison, who is expected to announce an election this week, said his Labor counterpart had failed to set out an economic plan in his budget reply last Thursday and was hoping to skate into power with little scrutiny.
"(Voters) know it is not a reality show, not based on who they like or don't like. They know it is about the economy," the prime minister said.
Mr Albanese said Queenslanders were telling him Mr Morrison led a "tired old government that's out of ideas and out of time".
"They want to change. So I want a government that actually has a plan for a better future," he said.
He admitted Labor would need to do better in Queensland, where it held only six out of 30 seats.
"I will spend substantial time in Queensland and I make this point - I don't just come to Queensland when there is a federal election campaign, or to campaign against the Palaszczuk government and do fundraisers like Scott Morrison did," he said.
Labor has also promised to put a cap on home care fees, with Mr Albanese saying elderly clients could be confident their money is going directly to care.
A Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows 38 per cent of the primary vote is going to Labor - a fall of three percentage points since the last survey - with the coalition improving a point to 36 per cent.
But on a two-party preferred basis, Labor is ahead 54 per cent to 46 per cent for the government, which if realised at the May election could translate to a national swing of more than five per cent.
An Ipsos poll published by The Australian Financial Review shows the two-party vote gap has widened slightly to 10 points, despite the government's budget offering of $8.6 billion in cost of living measures, with Labor ahead 55-45 per cent.
