Anthony Albanese is aiming to become just the fourth person to lead Labor to victory from opposition since the Second World War.
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The 59-year-old NSW MP took over the reins of the party unopposed after Bill Shorten's 2019 election loss.
Having been an ALP member for more than four decades, he says he won't be shy about reform if elected to government.
"We have a first-term plan. We want to not waste the opportunity that's there," Mr Albanese says.
"One of the things I'm very cognisant of is the fact that this government doesn't have an agenda."
Secure work tops the agenda with policy changes across child care, aged care, climate change, manufacturing and government contracts.
Mr Albanese says changing workplace laws to make job security an objective of the Fair Work Act will be an "absolute priority".
He plans to legislate a $6.2 billion childcare overhaul, which Labor claims will cut costs for 97 per cent of families and move towards universal child care, in 2022.
Labor's first budget would include the "buy Australia" plan which aims to use government purchasing power to boost local businesses.
The MP for the Sydney seat of Grayndler also points to aged care as a priority for Labor soon after coming to office.
He has pledged better pay and conditions for aged care workers, tastier and more nutritous food for residents and improved oversight of the system, after atrocities were laid bare in a royal commission.
Labor leads in national polls and is slight favourite in most betting markets.
Mr Albanese's central criticism of the government suggests he will not stall if voters hand him power after the May 21 poll.
"After three terms they will have been in office for nine years. Where's the big economic reform? Where's the big social policy reform? Where's the big environmental agenda that they have?" he asks.
"They've run up $1 trillion of debt and they have no big legacy to show for it."
He points to Labor's track record of the National Broadband Network, paid parental leave, a royal commission into institutional abuse, school building grants and Infrastructure Australia.
On foreign policy, the Labor leader backs the US "competition without catastrophe" approach to China and talks up ties with President Joe Biden's Democratic administration.
He wants to elevate climate change to a national security issue, which he believes will strengthen ties with Pacific nations and allies critical of emissions reduction targets.
Mr Albanese's term as Labor leader has not been without its challenges.
With the political focus on the COVID-19 response, he has had to juggle being positive about Australia's future with an effective attack on the coalition's handling of the vaccination and quarantine programs.
There's been little scope to fight on Labor's traditionally strong territory - issues such as the environment, education, the broader health system and the social safety net.
Just as Kevin Rudd talked about being an "economic conservative" in order to get coalition-learning voters across the line, Mr Albanese uses the phrase "safe change".
One Labor colleague summed him to AAP thus: "He knows who he is and what he stands for and isn't afraid to state it plainly. He has the energy of a 21-year-old, is driven by deep-rooted principles and some of the best gut instincts I've seen on either side of politics in my time".
It remains to be seen whether he can make history in delivering safe change at the election.
Australian Associated Press
