Anthony Albanese is coy about his prospects of victory in the historic federal Labor leadership ballot.
The result will be known on Sunday, following a vote of the Labor caucus and the party's rank-and-file.
Asked if he can win, Mr Albanese has told ABC radio on Tuesday: "It's up to the rank and file and caucus members".
Whatever the result he says it's been a good exercise for the party.
"The Labor Party has conducted itself in a mature way," the former deputy prime minister said.
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"We've engaged and energised our membership."
The other contender, Bill Shorten, says he's had 43 speaking engagements across the nation as part of his bid.
The former AWU national secretary said "some unions" had helped pay for his campaign, including mail outs, tele-conferences and meetings with groups of between 10 and 1000 people.
"During the campaign I've taken the opportunity to talk about some of the ideas that will appeal to people about Labor," the former education minister said, before giving an idea of his leadership style in opposition.
"I'm not sure that just being relentlessly negative is the right way for Australian politics.
"I think Australians are hungry for a positive agenda."
Mr Albanese later defended Labor's interim opposition presence, denying that without an elected leader the party was not properly scrutinising the government.
"I'm continuing to do my job as are the members of the opposition," he told ABC TV.
Mr Albanese pointed to a lack of media interest in Labor and cursory coverage of the coalition government's "mishaps".
"They have had a series of mishaps, not just the issues around the number of weddings they all seem to go to at taxpayers expense, but a range of other issues," he said.
Mr Albanese cited the Daily Telegraph's small mention of the travel expenses furore engulfing senior coalition MPs and The Australian's front-page coverage of infrastructure projects already budgeted by the previous Labor government.
"Funnily enough Labor's not getting as much prominence in the media as we should."
