Bill Shorten and senior coalition figures are under pressure to explain their respective positions on a same-sex marriage plebiscite.
With both sides having signed-off on their election costings and core messaging in place, attention has turned to what might happen after Saturday's election.
With a coalition win on the cards, a plebiscite before the end of the year looks the likely option.
That's something the opposition leader supported in mid-2013 when he told religious leaders and Christian voters he was "completely relaxed" about having some form of plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
In video footage obtained by The Australian, Mr Shorten outlined a position at odds with his most recent claims that a plebiscite would be a taxpayer-funded platform to give a green light to homophobia and hate.
"I'd be wary of trying to use a referendum and a constitutional mechanism to start tampering with the Marriage Act," he said at the time.
Fast-forward three years and it's a different story.
"Community attitudes have moved on and most Australians are confused why we are arguing about the matter," he told the Nine Network on Wednesday.
On the coalition side, two of the Turnbull government's most senior figures have refused to say how they would vote in parliament if the plebiscite passed.
Treasurer Scott Morrison, when quizzed six times by Leigh Sales on ABC-TV's 7.30, said he would "respect the outcome".
"My view is, if the plebiscite is carried nationally, then the legislation should pass," he said.
Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop, in a separate interview on Lateline, said she would look at the plebiscite's overall result, as well as votes in individual electorates, states and territories.
She also would "respect the outcome".
Mr Shorten's change of position comes as he struggles to explain why he used out-of-context remarks by Malcolm Turnbull to accuse him of making a defining gaffe that marked the end of the prime minister's credibility.
He claimed Mr Turnbull had been caught out when he said: "What political parties say they will support and oppose at one time is not necessarily what they will do".
But Mr Shorten overlooked a related passage, that linked it to Labor's opposition to coalition budget measures including the school kids' bonus.
Three days out from polling both leaders are in Sydney where the marginal Liberal seats of Macarthur and Banks will be the focus of their attention.
Before that they are doing the rounds of commercial radio.
Wednesday is the last day political ads can be aired on television and radio.
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