Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is unfazed by Labor trailing the coalition in the polls four weeks out from the federal election and his colleagues deny Labor's campaign is faltering.
Labor said a poor poll on Monday simply showed there was long way to go before the election, as they continued to try and flush out coalition policy costings.
An average of the most recent four polls by Newspoll, Morgan, ReachTEL and Essential shows Labor's two-party vote on 48.2 per cent - the lowest level since Mr Rudd's return to the leadership.
Campaigning in the Sydney seat of Bennelong, Mr Rudd said Labor remained the underdog.
"I'm a positive sort of guy with a positive set of plans for the country's future and I'm not fazed by any of this," he said.
"I've been around for a bit and I've been around for a few things somewhat more challenging than this."
He was at Macquarie University to announce $35.6 million for retraining 7000 manufacturing workers and a new medical technology partnership.
He followed up his election debate announcement of Labor's support for a new bill on gay marriage with a call on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to allow his MPs a conscience vote.
"I think it's time we resolved this matter for all Australians," Mr Rudd said.
Mr Abbott, whose sister Christine Forster is gay, said the issue was important.
But not as urgent a priority for an incoming coalition government as jobs and the cost of living, he said.
Campaigning in Melbourne, Mr Abbott promised an annual statement to parliament on the progress of major projects.
"I would like to think that should we win the election I will be known as an infrastructure prime minister," he said.
Labor and the coalition continued to exchange blows over the costing of policies, ahead of Tuesday's release by Treasury of the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
Labor released its economic statement on August 2, which Mr Rudd said was based on the government's "best analysis" of the latest data.
He says he will account for policies announced during the election campaign with a "full reconciliation of the costings on the way through".
Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb said Mr Rudd's comment showed the hypocrisy of Labor's call for the coalition to immediately release its policy costings.
"When exactly will the Australian people see the full list of all of your costings, Mr Rudd?" Mr Robb said.
Following Sunday's leaders' debate, talks are under way to hold two town hall-style events in Brisbane and Sydney in coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the Labor national executive endorsed business consultant Clare O'Neil to replace Geoff Lake as the candidate for the safe Victorian seat of Hotham.
Mr Lake was stood aside over comments he made about a female Monash councillor 11 years ago.
The ALP is seeking a replacement for Senator David Feeney, who formally resigned from the Senate on Monday to run in the Victorian lower house seat of Batman.
