Party faithful have attended a small community hall in Melbourne's outer east to hear Bill Shorten defend Labor's performance in opposition and talk up the party's chances in the federal election.
More than 20 people holding signs calling for the East West Link to be built chanted "Shame on Bill" outside the Central Ringwood Community Centre on Saturday as more than 100 people gathered inside for the public meeting.
The event is the 16th meeting of its kind the opposition leader has attended across Australia, in the hope of speaking to "real people".
Joined by Labor's candidate for Deakin, Tony Clark and Labor's candidate for Chisholm, Stefanie Perri, Mr Shorten took centre stage as members of the audience asked questions about Labor's policies in the lead-up to the election.
He answered questions about immigration, climate change, jobs and beating Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
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"I believe we tick the box in terms of being a strong opposition," Mr Shorten told the crowd.
"We've got good candidates, that's clear already ... but what we want to do is have a debate about being an alternative government and that's why these meetings are so important."
He said Mr Turnbull couldn't lead Australia the way he wants to because the right wing of the Liberal Party had muddied up the GST and pushed to change the Safe Schools policy the Prime Minister had previously thrown his support behind.
During a press conference before the meeting, Mr Shorten scoffed at suggestions he was in Ringwood because it was a hotly held Liberal seat.
"I don't look at suburbs or postcodes in Australia as automatically Liberal or Labor - they are full of Australians," he said.
The date of the next election is unknown, but Mr Shorten believes it will be in the next 100 days.
