Malcolm Turnbull may have thrown a lifeline to some Labor MPs who are in a fierce contest against the Greens to save their seats.
In a day dominated by health policies from both sides of politics, the prime minister has sought to smother the Greens' chances of increasing their foothold in the House of Representatives by preferencing Labor in all seats.
"This is a call that I have made in the national interest," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Sunday, while urging voters to back the coalition to avoid "an unstable, chaotic minority Labor-Greens-independent government".
Greens Leader Richard Di Natale likened it to the "Coles and Woolies" of politics - the two old parties coming together to lock out any competition from more progressive voices.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten wasn't about to show his gratitude either, saying it was up to Mr Turnbull what he wanted to do on such matters.
"He can worry about second and third preference votes ... I am chasing every first preference I can for the Labor Party," Mr Shorten told reporters in Townsville.
Neither was he about to commend the coalition on its plan to grade health insurance policies as gold, silver or bronze so that they can be easily understood by consumers, calling it a joke from a government that had run out of ideas.
"I think he is insulting Australians," the Labor leader said.
The three categories of health cover set minimum standards for the 40,000 private health insurance products on the market, while helping insurers develop products specifically for people living in rural areas.
"The things that matter in your health insurance aren't necessarily the same in the country as the city," Health Minister Sussan Ley told the Seven network.
Meanwhile, Mr Shorten would pump an extra $2 billion into hospitals, on top of the $2.9 billion promised by the government in a four-year plan.
This is nowhere near the original $57 billion funding that Labor claimed was slashed by the coalition but it will negotiate a new agreement with states and territories in government.
"We can't replace every dollar the Liberals have taken out of the system, but we have made tough decisions to prioritise health care as part of this election," Mr Shorten said.
But Mr Turnbull scoffed at Labor's commitment after years of saying the government had cut $57 billion from health.
"Having milked the political cynical ... benefit of that, then they come back and say we're not going to do that, we are going to put in, in this case, $2 billion more." he said.
The two leaders set aside their differences in issuing a joint statement to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Black Hawk disaster when 18 Australian Army personnel lost their lives.
Mr Shorten and Mr Turnbull separately laid wreaths either side of the memorial service in Townsville.
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