Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has struggled to connect with a room of undecided western Sydney voters during the election campaign's first debate.
Mr Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten were peppered with 12 questions from swinging voters at a televised "people's forum" at the Windsor RSL Club on Friday night.
Hot button issues included multinational tax avoidance, GP costs, childcare, housing affordability and education.
The opposition leader went into the contest with a slight advantage - in recent months he's clocked up 25 town hall style meetings.
The extra preparation showed. He was more relaxed, spoke in plain English and answered questions directly.
Out of the 100 undecided voters at the forum, Mr Shorten won over 42, Mr Turnbull netted 29 while 29 others couldn't make up their mind.
Mr Turnbull's opening pitch talked up his government's economic plan for jobs and growth and innovation, while Mr Shorten's remarks emphasised Labor's commitment to Gonski school funding and Medicare.
"Anyone who tells you money doesn't matter in education is selling you a pig in a poke," Mr Shorten said.
The prime minister tried his best to portray himself as a man of the people, on a day when he was grappling with accusations of being out of touch and the tagline "Mr Harbourside Mansion".
Mr Turnbull played the grandpa card, when a mother named Samantha, raised her family's plight of spending $45,000 a year on childcare, leaving her with $2 pay per hour, if she returns to work from maternity leave.
"As a grandfather with a grandson who goes to childcare, because his mum's working as a teacher, I understand very much the challenges that you face and we're addressing that," Mr Turnbull said.
The former investment banker argued that bankers should not be "put in the docks" and reiterated his government's rejection of Labor's plans for a royal commission.
"Here you've got Bill who wants to be prime minister of Australia who says you should line the banks up as though they are accused of a crime, as though they are all criminals," he said, as the room murmured in disagreement.
Mr Shorten fired back a sarcastic jibe on the success of the prime minister's stern warning to banks to pull their heads in the wake of financial scandals, at a recent Westpac party.
"I'm sure they went home and changed their practices after a lecture from you (Malcolm)," he said.
Mr Turnbull confirmed that bulk-billing for pathology services will continue, saying Health Minister Sussan Ley had reached an agreement on Friday so "that concern is gone".
