Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers is keen to have the May election fought on economic policies, labelling the Morrison government's scare campaigns campaigns as "unhinged".
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Dr Chalmers used an address to an Australian Industry Group function to lay-out Labor's economic five-point plan, which he believes will lift the "speed limit" of Australia's economic recovery.
The federal budget is released on March 29, weeks out from the election.
"It needs to be a contest of ideas and not a cacophony of increasingly ridiculous and unhinged scare campaigns on tax or the Greens or China," Dr Chalmers told the Ai Group on Monday.
The government's relentless attack on Labor during this month's parliamentary sittings appears to have paid little dividend.
The latest Newspoll published in The Australian on Monday showed Labor retaining its 55 to 45 per cent lead over the coalition on a two-party preferred basis.
Labor's primary vote remains at 41 per cent, versus 35 per cent for the government, while Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has lifted his preferred prime minister rating to 40 per cent, just behind Scott Morrison on 42 per cent.
Dr Chalmers says Labor's Powering Australia plan will drive investment in cleaner and cheaper energy and create more jobs and opportunities, especially in the regions.
Labor wants free TAFE and more university places to train Australians, and deal with skills shortages, while it intends intends to modernise the NBN to make the digital economy more accessible, flexible and productive in the 'work from home' world that people are becoming accustomed to.
It wants to make early education and childcare more affordable, to ease cost-of-living pressures on working families and boost participation, while a Labor government will co-invest in manufacturing and other crucial sectors through a National Reconstruction Fund to diversify the economy.
Meanwhile, Employment Minister Stuart Robert announced $1.2 billion in funding over four years to deliver an expanded Transition to Work employment service that helps disadvantaged young Australian finds jobs or complete their eduction.
Thirty-seven organisations across Australia were selected to deliver the expanded employment service, which Mr Robert said has consistently achieved strong results.
"The Morrison government's economic plan is working and today's announcement builds on our commitment to deliver generational skilling, not generational scarring," Mr Robert said.
Still, the Grattan Institute think tank is urging the election winner to tackle bold policy reforms so Australia can emerge from the pandemic as a fairer and more prosperous nation.
The institute calls for major tax reform among its ambitious policy agenda, which it wants to see the GST increased, or broadened, and the winding back of tax concessions like negative gearing to fund income tax cuts.
It also calls for cheaper childcare, lower patient payments to medical specialists and dentists, and higher density housing in major capital cities.
At the same time it wants a boost to the JobSeeker dole payment, stronger action on climate change and a Commonwealth integrity commission with teeth.
"This is an ambitious agenda, but decades of policy gridlock mean there are many opportunities to improve Australians' living standards through better policy," the institute's CEO Danielle Wood said.
"Whoever wins the 2022 federal election needs to get the ball rolling, so Australia can emerge from the pandemic as a fairer, more prosperous and more optimistic nation."
Australian Associated Press
