But this weekend he will be pounding the pavement to fight what he believes are "fundamental wrongs" in the halls of power.

Mr Carter is one of more than 100 UnionsACT volunteers who will be knocking on doors in the Eden-Monaro electorate on Sunday in preparation for the next federal election.

Frustration with the sitting government has spurred the previously politically apathetic father into action.

"Like most people I didn't pay attention to anything that was going on politically," Mr Carter said.

"I haven't always been militant, but it's only been in the last two years that I've really been coming more and more active."

Penalty rates, the GP co-payment, cuts to mental health funding and the secrecy surrounding Manus Island and Nauru are his big-ticket issues, and the unionist plans on sharing his 17 years of experiences as a nurse to drive the scale of the problems home with voters.

"Putting gags on nurses to report [sexual abuse on Manus Island] flies in the face of everything nurses stand for. I've had to make mandatory reports on child abuse and to be gagged from doing that doesn't sit well with me at all," he said.

"Penalty rates are also a big issue. I didn't choose nursing for the money but I don't think I'd be doing nursing if I wasn't getting paid and penalty rates are certainly a factor. Whilst they're not going after nurses at the moment I don't support a two-tiered system and it's only a matter of time before nurses lose their penalty rates."

Like Mr Carter, teacher Emma Cox felt disenchanted by the political process.

"I've been increasingly feeling that just voting isn't enough and that if I wanted to make a difference this was a really proactive way to volunteer my time to try and make positive changes in the community," Ms Cox said.

"I'm fundamentally against what the Abbott government stands for. I feel that on a number of levels his government is not what I believe Australia should be moving towards."

High on her priorities are ensuring all Australian have access to good education and healthcare, and improving the treatment of refugees.

"I feel the [Abbott government] promotes more of a user-pay system in healthcare and in education and in a developed, well-off country like Australia something such as quality education and healthcare should be accessible for all people," she said.

UnionsACT secretary Alex White said this weekend's "Build A Better Future" campaign will be the biggest-ever doorknocking effort in Eden-Monaro and will be the first of many.

The campaign will take place in 25 marginal seats across the country.