Anthony Albanese has called for parliament to debate any decision to go to war, as part of a broader plan to improve trust in Australia's democracy.
The Labor leader will use a speech in Sydney on Saturday to set out a plan, which includes restoring integrity and accountability, improving the maturity of debate and making parliament work more effectively.
He will call for parliament to "at the very least" be allowed a debate on any cabinet decision to go to war - something coalition governments have been reluctant to do.
"We can't ask people to put their lives on the line if we as legislators are too afraid to put our arguments on the line. If democracy has real meaning, it is in moments like this," Mr Albanese will tell the Towards 2022 forum.
Bob Hawke allowed two days of parliamentary debate after his cabinet decided to join the first Gulf War.
Political debate in Australia must move beyond Twitter trolling and anti-coal convoys towards a "proper, grown-up, democratic conversation", Mr Albanese will say.
"In a world that's being revolutionised by science and technology, and threatened by a changing climate, what sort of country treats its scientists, educators and firefighters like enemies of the people?" he will say.
"The answer is: one that will have fewer jobs, a lower standard of living and a more dangerous environment in the decades to come."
Having taken an electoral hit in Queensland over Labor's confusing stance on the coal industry, Mr Albanese says those who advocate change need to understand the viewpoints of "those who will feel insecure by that change".
"We must consider their point of view, their interests, their security, their future, their solutions. The convoy into Clermont was not helpful," he will tell Labor supporters.
On cleaning up "fake news" on social media, Mr Albanese says he had encountered a problem when men's rights activist Leith Erikson doctored an image from his Facebook page.
"What was originally a graphic supporting Australians' right to protest became a graphic pushing Mr Erikson's loopy campaign against the Family Court," he said.
Facebook declined to do anything as it was not a breach of its guidelines.
"Why do Facebook's laws of the jungle trump Australia's laws of the land?" Mr Albanese will say.
He will pledge to work with media companies and journalists to enshrine in law changes to protect press freedom.
"Journalism is not a crime. It's essential to preserving our democracy. We don't need a culture of secrecy. We need a culture of disclosure," he will say.
As well, a national integrity commission - with all the powers of a standing royal commission - was needed to "root out corruption in the federal sphere".
The Labor leader also calls for an independent speaker of parliament and a parliamentary integrity commissioner to ensure MPs' behaviour meets community expectations.
