Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will take his election campaign to the key battleground of western Sydney ahead of his first debate against Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is campaigning in Adelaide.
Mr Shorten will continue with his education focus as he makes his first foray into the NSW hustings on Friday.
His wife Chloe, who joined the trail in Rockhampton on Thursday for the opposition leader's birthday, is expected to continue on for another couple of days.
Mr Turnbull will be hoping to push the benefits of his government's $50 billion submarine decision, which will see France design Australia's 12 future submarines to be built in Adelaide, along with 12 offshore patrol vessels.
It's a move the government hopes will turn around ill-feelings towards the coalition from a state facing high unemployment and a decline in manufacturing.
High profile frontbencher Christopher Pyne is also facing a voter backlash in the eastern-suburbs electorate of Sturt, despite holding the seat by a 10 per cent margin.
The coalition will be watching independent senator Nick Xenophon who is fielding candidates in both lower and upper house seats.
The popular senator's party preferences could impact My Pyne's chances of being re-elected.
South Australia is also home to dumped minister Jamie Briggs, who despite holding the seat by a significant margin, could also face a backlash.
Mr Briggs was forced out of the ministry after allegations of misconduct at a bar in Hong Kong while on a government trip last year.
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The prime minister could pay some attention to the coalition-held marginal seat of Hindmarsh, where MP Matt Williams won with an eight per cent swing to the coalition in 2013.
Labor's Steve Georganas - who lost in that election after holding the seat for nine years - will be hoping to get back into parliament this time.
The Adelaide Advertiser has reported Mr Turnbull will announce more than $40 million in federal funding to extend the Tonsley rail line by 650 metres.
The project would improve travel times between the Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University to the city,
It's based in the Liberal-held seat of Boothby, where new candidate Nicolle Flint is up against Nick Xenophon Team candidate, Karen Hockley.
First leaders debate
The prime minister will have a matter of hours in Adelaide before he gets back on a plane to hold a debate with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in western Sydney on Friday evening.
Mr Turnbull will be under pressure to shake off the "Mr Harbourside Mansion" tag when he and Mr Shorten go head-to-head at Windsor RSL.
The two leaders will take part in a televised people's forum on Friday evening amid criticism of the prime minister's campaigning style by Tony Abbott's former chief of staff.
Peta Credlin has taken a swipe at Mr Turnbull, saying he shouldn't have cancelled a street walk in Penrith on Wednesday.
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In a reference to Mr Turnbull's private residence in Sydney's eastern suburbs, Ms Credlin labelled him "Mr Harbourside Mansion".
Up to 100 selected swinging voters will take part in the forum at Windsor in the Liberal seat of Macquarie.
So far Mr Shorten’s swing through regional Queensland has been dogged by questions about Labor's asylum-seeker policy and the contrary views of some of the party's candidates.
The Liberal Party has jumped on the apparent division with a video showing Braddon candidate Justine Keay admitting she would rather boat turnbacks weren't used.
Labor candidates in Herbert (Queensland), Fremantle (Western Australia), Macquarie (NSW), Solomon (Northern Territory) and Melbourne have also been on the record opposing offshore processing.
Labor is also the target of a campaign attacking its policy to curb tax breaks for property investors.
Some of the nation's biggest realty firms will target families, renters and homeowners with a direct mail and email campaign to warn the opposition's negative gearing policy is an "economy killer".
The campaign claims 18 million people will be affected by the plan.
Mr Shorten will return to Brisbane when the debate is done and dusted as he continues his education-focused two-and-a-half week east coast tour from Cairns to Canberra.
