Bill Shorten remains close but his chances of snaring an unlikely against-the-odds victory appear to be fading, with the major issues gaining attention in the final days of the campaign playing more to Malcolm Turnbull's advantage.

A slew of opinion polls putting the Labor opposition level or even ahead of the previously dominant Coalition government had pointed to a surprise Labor win after just one term in the wilderness, albeit via another hung Parliament - just three years since the last one ended.

But in the wake of Mr Shorten's unproved claim that the Turnbull government harboured secret plans to sell Medicare, and Labor's proposal for deeper deficits before returning the budget to balance, there are signs voters may be reconsidering dumping the Turnbull government.