Opposition Leader Luke Foley insists Labor can cause a major upset and defeat the Baird government in the NSW election, saying only a fool would write his party off.
The Labor leader made the declaration at the party's official campaign launch on Sunday at the Campbelltown Catholic Club in Sydney's southwest.
"Anyone who has lived through the last 10 years of Australian politics and says an election is unwinnable is a fool," he told about 700 Labor party faithful.
Mr Foley, a cricket tragic, compared the challenge of overcoming the coalition's comfortable majority on March 28 to Australia's legendary Test comeback against England in 1882 that began the Ashes.
England needed just 85 runs in the final innings to win.
"But our first great Australian fast bowler - Fred Spofforth 'The Demon' - told his team mates at the final change of innings: this thing can be done - and they did," Mr Foley said.
"Friends in NSW, at this election, this thing can be done."
Labor had "listened and changed" since its devastating 2011 election defeat and was ready to govern again, he said.
Former prime minister Bob Hawke later told reporters NSW Labor had learned from its mistakes, alluding to the corruption woes revealed at the ICAC that tainted the party when it last led the state.
"It's cleaned itself up enormously. I don't want to name names, but you know what I'm talking about," he said.
"It's a new party (and) a clean party."
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten, who also spoke at the event, linked Premier Mike Baird to his "good mate" Tony Abbott, saying the unpopular prime minister was keeping his distance from the NSW election campaign trail.
"Of course, these days, Tony Abbott only comes to NSW to collect his mail and put out the bins," Mr Shorten said.
Mr Foley said the election would be a referendum on Mr Baird's plan to partially lease the state's electricity network.
He also drew inspiration from Queensland Labor's stunning election victory against the one-term pro-privatisation LNP government.
"If the Queensland election tells us one thing, it is this: whatever the majority, voters can stop privatisation by voting Labor," Mr Foley said.
He committed an extra $1.3 billion to schools and TAFE, $1.7 billion to health and said every new school built would include childcare or before and after school care facilities on site.
He also confirmed Labor would place a moratorium on the coal seam gas industry with bans on mining activity in the north coast and in Sydney's sensitive water catchment areas.
Special Minister of State Anthony Roberts later slammed Mr Foley for neglecting to outline a plan for transport and to fix the congestion on Sydney's roads.
"You can't get rid of those transport problems by not talking about them," he said.
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