Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese says the party's plan for government should include stronger communities, less traffic, more jobs and climate action.
Mr Albanese will deliver the Light on the Hill address in honour of former prime minister Ben Chifley in the late Labor leader's home town of Bathurst on Saturday.
The former leadership contender will use the speech to offer ideas on how Labor can make a "compelling narrative".
"Labor always performs at our best when our policies target the aspirations of the Australian people," he will say.
Mr Albanese says there's no greater intergenerational issues than the environment, and the choice is simple - do nothing and wake up one day to a shrinking coal market and international competitors who have cornered the market on clean energy technology.
He says the shift to renewables needs to be managed whether we like it or not.
"We can't stop it. That's why Labor remains convinced that a market-linked mechanism is the best way to deliver genuine outcomes," he says.
The former Labor government's carbon tax proved a potent political issue which contributed to the coalition election victory in 2013.
Mr Albanese said the suburbs of middle Australia were being transformed from lively communities to drive-in drive-out localities.
The coalition government was doing nothing, seeing no role for itself in urban policy or provision of public transport that could make a real fix to the problem.
So when Labor returns to government, it will start a major attack on traffic congestion.
Mr Albanese said the most important way to boost regions was to ensure they had access to the national broadband network, and not the half-baked second rate NBN being delivered by the coalition.
He said Labor would also consider introduction of a "Buffett tax", involving a minimum tax rate beyond which individuals cannot reduce their exposure with tax deductions.
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