With the finishing line in sight ahead of the May 3 vote, Labor has returned to bolstering medical services with a promise to build on the existing Healthdirect hotline.
More than $200 million would be spent on 1800MEDICARE, a 24/7 nationwide health advice and after-hours GP telehealth service, the latest in a string of health commitments from the government.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the service was not intended as a substitute for existing doctor-patient relationships, a concern raised by the Australian Medical Association.
"This is not intended as a substitute for your relationship with your usual GP but intended to cover circumstances where people need to be seen immediately," Mr Butler told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.
"For example, when your kid gets sick."
The health minister batted away questions about his party's disparaging framing of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's track record on public health care.
"There's a risk in giving Medicare back to a man that doctors voted the worst health minister in the history of the system," he said.
Mr Dutton accused Labor of "throwing mud" to distract from a lack of progress during three years in office.
"Labor's run this negative campaign, but Australians are happy to see through that," Mr Dutton told Seven's Weekend Sunrise program.
"Australians know that in their own households, they've gone backwards."
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie stressed her party's commitment to the regions, including a promise not to cut working holiday visa-holder numbers.
"We need those backpackers out in our regions, for tourism, hospitality and agriculture tasks," she told ABC Insiders on Sunday.
The opposition has promised to cut permanent migration by 25 per cent.
Mr Dutton will go head-to-head with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the fourth and final leaders' debate on Sunday evening, to be held by Seven.
Polling throughout the five-week race has consistently shown Mr Albanese cement his lead as preferred prime minister over Mr Dutton as the coalition has similarly fallen behind in voter surveys.
The latest polling from YouGov, released on Friday, showed Labor ahead of the coalition by 53.5 per cent to 46.5 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
The coalition needs to gain 21 seats to secure a majority, a figure leaders insist is still achievable.
The two leaders have already previously clashed three times, with two of the debates held in western Sydney, where political analysts believe the election could be decided.
Mr Dutton's campaign pace in the last week has gained speed, as he visited up to three states a day.
In the Victorian battleground, Mr Dutton will attempt to wrest Goldstein, Kooyong, Aston, Dunkley, Gorton and Hawke from Labor.
In NSW, the opposition leader will target Mackellar, Paterson, Dobell, Bennelong and Gilmore.
In WA, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, the coalition will go for Bullwinkel, Boothby, Lyons and Moreton among others.
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