Labor will not make promises it cannot keep ahead of the election, the federal opposition leader says.
But the prime minister has accused the opposition of not laying out a specific economic plan for fear of losing at the ballot box.
As state premiers call for more support from the federal government for health funding, Anthony Albanese promised a Labor government would work constructively with each state on the issue.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he would team up with his fellow state and territory leaders to push the next federal government, whether it be Labor or Liberal, not to wind back the equal health funding partnership during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the WA government announced a $252 million package to improve emergency departments as part the upcoming state budget.
But while leaders are clear about their desire for an even funding split between federal and state, Labor would be upfront about what was possible, Mr Albanese said.
"We're not promising things in advance and then saying something different after the election campaign. What we're doing is being very clear," he told reporters in Brisbane on Monday.
"What we will do is sit down with premiers constructively and work these issues through."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Labor could not be trusted to manage the health budget.
"We have seen their health policies that were not costed, and other policies in this campaign, fall apart after about 24 hours," Mr Morrison told reporters in Geelong.
"It really is a choice about who do you think will be able to better manage those very significant pressures in the years ahead - a government that has taken us through the worst crisis we have seen in three generations or a Labor party that does not know how to manage money."
Mr Albanese said Labor's proposal to establish urgent-care clinics would help take pressure off hospital emergency departments.
"We're inheriting off a government that doubled the debt before the pandemic, a trillion dollars of debt," he said.
"So that is why we are being very responsible, very measured in the proposals that we have put forward."
Mr Andrews said the proposed cut to state funding would create a $1.5 billion a year shortfall in Victoria's budget bottom line.
"I would encourage federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Prime Minister Scott Morrison to revisit their cut to COVID 50-50 funding, which is going to happen in just a couple of months time," he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
"(It's) exactly when we need it most, when we're really getting up to full steam when it comes to catching up with those deferred care issues. It's simply wrong."
WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said there were patients waiting in hospitals to be transferred to aged or disability care for "months, if not years".
"This is an abject failure of those commonwealth agencies," she said.
"We're stepping up and funding those transitional placements to give those patients better quality of life and to free up beds in the system."
Mr Albanese attended the Labour Day march in Brisbane as a Newspoll published in The Australian shows his party is leading the coalition 53-47 on a two-party preferred basis.
If realised, the coalition could lose 10 seats at the May 21 election.
Mr Albanese told union members they deserved more than thanks for getting the nation through the pandemic.
"You deserve a government that cares about secure work. You deserve a government that wants to increase your pay."
