WA Opposition Leader Mark McGowan is confident his team has done its best during the state election campaign, but says winning will be like climbing Mt Everest.
Labor, which is in the lead according to polls, has to win 10 seats with a 10 per cent swing to thwart Liberal plans for a third term.
"It has never, ever been done in Western Australia before," he told reporters on Friday.
"For us to win is like climbing Mt Everest."
Victory would deliver Mr McGowan the state's top job on his second attempt.
A gaffe by Labor frontbencher Fran Logan proved an unwelcome distraction on Friday, but Mr McGowan rejected Liberal calls to sack the local jobs spokesman, or at least rule out making him a minister.
Mr McGowan was at pains to stress he wasn't anti-business, after video emerged of Mr Logan threatening companies if they sought compensation for broken contracts.
Mr Logan had been "severely counselled", the Labor leader said.
He pointed out he was visiting a business with former federal Labor leader Kim Beazley, who sung Mr McGowan's praises, saying the 49-year-old was a family man who had empathy with ordinary West Australians.
"Mark is ready for the top job," Mr Beazley said.
"He is exactly what Western Australia needs at this point in time in our history. He's got safe hands."
Mr McGowan rejected Treasurer Mike Nahan's claim that Labor would have to immediately fire at least 2500 people from the public sector to achieve a $750 million savings target.
The opposition has promised to axe 20 per cent of the public sector's senior executive positions and trim down the number of government departments and agencies by the same amount.
Mr McGowan also refused to implement a new debt ceiling, which used to be $20 billion. It was breached by the Liberals and is now headed for $41 billion.
Labor's costings have it getting the state's budget back in surplus by $205 million by 2019/20, but debt would still rise to more than $39 billion.
"Debt would be lower than under the Liberal party's budget," he said.
"Clearly debt needs to be kept under control but it's a long-term plan.
"There's no magic solution. It will be up to WA Labor to turn that ship around but it will take time."
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