Prime Minister Kevin Rudd believes Australians are looking for a positive vision for the nation's future.
In his first question on the economy in parliamentary question time since returning to the Labor leadership, Mr Rudd said people want "positive politics not negative politics".
"They want us to build the house up, not tear it down," he told parliament.
But he said the economy faced a core challenge with the end of the Chinese resources boom.
"The China trade itself represents such a huge slice of the Australian national economy," Mr Rudd said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The economy is looking at one huge adjustment for the nation's standards of living in the future unless the government acts with appropriate policy responses.
He said that means on working hard on boosting productivity, the diversifying the economy, building up manufacturing again, and building up the agricultural and the process food sectors.
It is important the parliament engages in a positive debate, rather than what he has witnessed as a backbencher.
He said that during that time, the opposition ignored, belittled or distorted every piece of good economic data advanced about the Australian economy.
