Anthony Albanese has called on Labor and the Liberals to do more to renew faith in mainstream politics.
The Labor frontbencher and former leadership contender outlined a plan to restore "positive politics in the age of disruption" in the Earl Page lecture in Armidale in regional NSW on Tuesday night.
"Both major parties clearly have a vested interest in renewing faith in mainstream politics," Mr Albanese said.
He said dissatisfaction with inequality, globalisation and the prevailing political order had led to unpredictable election outcomes and decisions such as Brexit, which in turn led many to be negative about the future.
"I think this assessment is wrong and self-defeating ... in the words of musician Ian Dury there are indeed 'reasons to be cheerful'."
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Mr Albanese said the recent federal budget saw the coalition adopt some of the central principles that had been advanced by Labor, including universal health care, needs-based school funding, the NDIS as a critical reform and using "good debt" for infrastructure.
"This is a start - and motivations have been rightly questioned - but while words can be positive it is, of course, actions that really count," he said.
While the government had yet to end the "policy paralysis" in the energy sector, which was pushing up power bills and doing nothing to cut emissions, Labor was willing to work with the government to solve the problem.
However, he said the clean energy target recommended by the Finkel review was not as good as Labor's preferred path of an emissions intensity scheme.
He said Australia's children should enjoy greater opportunity and quality of life than their parents with at least as good, if not better, natural environment.
"We must secure outcomes in the national interest. That includes real needs-based funding for education, investment in infrastructure and the digital economy, regional economic development and strong and decisive action on climate change.
"If we deal with these challenges we can create a more positive political culture and indeed give people 'reasons to be cheerful'."
