Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has ramped up his attack on the federal government's economic credentials, saying if Labor is returned jobs and investment will suffer.
Mr Abbott has laid out the damage he believes Labor's carbon pricing regime and mining tax is causing, saying both policies will shrink growth.
"If Labor sneaks back, the mining tax stays and will doubtless be expanded and increased to raise more revenue - which means more pressure on investment and jobs," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday.
Mr Abbott said Labor under Prime Minister Kevin Rudd can't be trusted to manage the economy.
"With the carbon tax, our economy will find it that much harder to pay for the better services that you (voters) want," he added.
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Mr Abbott repeated his pledge to scrap the carbon tax, saying if the coalition won government on September 7 it would be a warning to Labor not to stand in his way.
"Mr Rudd knows that the carbon tax is an act of economic self-harm - that's why he has pretended to abolish it," he said.
"But the only way to really abolish it is to change the government."
Mr Abbott said getting rid of the carbon tax would leave the economy three per cent bigger or $40 billion a year wealthier.
This would mean Australia could better afford policies like Labor's schools funding plans and the national disability insurance scheme.
