A Turnbull government attempt to embarrass Labor over national security laws backfired when a star Liberal candidate was brought into the row.
Attorney-General George Brandis used a media conference in Sydney on Sunday, in which he announced terror charges had been laid against five men who tried to leave Australia for Syria by boat last week, to take aim at a Labor candidate in Victoria.
Peta Murphy, as a member of Liberty Victoria, was a signatory to a submission the organisation made to a parliamentary inquiry in 2009.
It argued the domestic spy agency ASIO and police shouldn't be given stronger powers, and criticised the listing of several terrorist organisations.
That was enough for Senator Brandis to insist Labor leader Bill Shorten disendorse Ms Murphy as his party's candidate for the marginal Liberal seat of Dunkley in Victoria.
Mr Shorten dismissed the call, saying former human rights commissioner Tim Wilson, who is standing for the Liberal Party in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein, made similar comments last year.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was at pains to avoid repeating the attorney-general's call when quizzed by reporters at Campbelltown in Sydney's southwest.
"This is a matter for Mr Shorten. It is a matter for him to make his decision on that matter," he said.
Mr Shorten was also under pressure as he campaigned in the northern NSW seat of Richmond, which Labor is defending with a 1.6 per cent margin.
The Labor leader was again forced to reject any suggestion he would form a power-sharing government with the Greens in a hung parliament.
The Greens say Labor is in denial.
"History shows that both sides of politics say these sort of things in the lead-up to an election campaign but when faced with the prospect of governing, wiser heads prevail," leader Richard Di Natale said.
Mr Shorten used the start of the second week of campaigning to make a low-key announcement, pledging $41 million to teach children how to swim.
Mr Turnbull promised $54 million to fund continuous glucose monitoring devices for families with children suffering Type 1 diabetes, saving them up to $4000 a year.
But on another health front, the coalition will bear the brunt of a campaign by doctors angry at its plan to extend until 2020 the freeze on Medicare rebates.
Doctors warn patients could be out of pocket by up to $20 every time they see the GP.
They argue it's a Medicare co-payment by stealth.
Labor has been sharply critical of the decision but has yet to say whether it will reverse the extension.
"We won't be finalising our Medicare rebate policy today," Mr Shorten said.
As Mr Turnbull heads west to Perth and Mr Shorten moves his campaign south to Melbourne on Monday, the man they both saw off last year was launching his re-election bid for parliament.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott told adoring Liberals in his electorate of Warringah in northern Sydney Australians will be voting for his legacy as well as Malcolm Turnbull's on July 2.
