The Nationals stressed that they did not disagree the economy was in transition, but felt that the official campaign slogan was insensitive and had not been properly thought through.

They are using alternative phrases such as "building on our strengths" and "backing our strengths".

On MP said all the talk of a new economy was "a bit of a risk to us" because the No.1 concern among constituents was job security and the lack of work.

"We don't want to tell people that the economy that they are in, that the job that they are in, that it is in peril," the MP said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is looking forward to a ''number of debates''. Andrew Meares

"There's concern around the language and the way people are reacting to it.

"They don't like the old economy/new economy thing, that is terrible language."

When he called the election on Sunday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said "our economic plan for jobs and growth is as clear as it is critical – to support this transition to the new economy of the 21st century".


The government and opposition are both of the same view that the economy needs to diversify from its dependence on mining and both are hammering home the advantages of science and innovation. Labor's is placing a greater premium on the economic value of education under its "inclusive growth strategy" while the Coalition is hoping to stimulate the economy with a more favourable tax regime for business and investors.

With the campaign just four days old, Mr Turnbull is yet to visit northern Queensland with its clutch of Coalition seats, many of which are marginal and most of which are economically depressed and all of which are being targeted by Labor. Seats include Dawson, Herbert, Flynn and Capricornia. Labor leader Bill Shorten has been in the region for the past three days, spruiking his education focus and former prime minister Tony Abbott will make his first campaign foray to the region on Thursday and Friday.

He will campaign in the marginal seat of Dawson, held by George Christensen.

One senior Liberal said there was anxiety among the MPs in the region over the sluggish start to the campaign and the lack of announcements so far. But he urged calm, saying it was still two-and-a-half weeks until the start of what would be a normal five-week campaign. The government was spending this week trying to sell the measures in last week's budget, primarily the $5.2 billion in business tax cuts.

Announcements were coming but won't be "rolled out in a mad rush". There is an expectation Mr Turnbull will announce an economic package for the region during the campaign.

The Liberal said the region "breezed through" the global financial crisis" due to well-paid mining and other jobs, as well as the stimulus handed out by the Labor government.

"Now we are in pain," he said.

"We're in a world of pain with unemployment.


"They don't want to hear about the new economy but we have to embrace the new economy."

In Townsville on Wednesday, in the Coalition seat of Herbert, Mr Shorten said education was the key to job creation in the regions.

"Investing in education is the best economic plan that anyone can put out and lay out for Australia," he said.

"If we want to be a smart and successful nation, we need to be an educated nation. I will make sure that a Labor government I lead will give our kids, wherever they live, in the regions and in the cities, a great opportunity for a quality education.

"It contradicts common sense to say that somehow making sure that our kids are smarter and more educated won't improve the economy."