ECONOMY/JOBS COALITION Positioning themselves as responsible economic managers. Budget projections include a deficit of $37.1 million, down from $39.8 billion. Net debt to peak at $356.4 billion in 2018-19 then start to decline. Claiming Labor Government promised things it could not fund, while its plan to boost innovation would foster jobs.
LABOR Positioning themselves as capable of reform, while looking after the little guys. Shorten has outlined ways Labor would improve the Budget through its policies and by making changes to Coalition tax measures that he says will result in $71 billion of additional improvements over a decade.
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE COALITION Committed to seeing through the policy position the Liberal-National Coalition selected when Tony Abbott was leader of a post-election plebiscite - estimated to cost about $160 million. 
LABOR Labor thinks a plebiscite is a waste of taxpayers' money and says it would instead introduce legislation to legalise same-sex marriage within the first 100 days of being elected.
SCHOOLS COALITION An additional $1.2 billion pledged for schools from 2018-2020, as part of a "back-to-basics" approach, including "targeted" measures to improve outcomes including literacy and numeracy tests.
LABOR Insists Gonski-style funding scheme was fully funded when the Coalition came to power - and would pour $3.5 billion more than Coalition into schools by 2020. Has set a target of 95 per cent Year 12 completion by 2020. Also wants children to continue studying maths or science to Year 12.
NEGATIVE GEARING COALITION Ruled out negative gearing as a money-saving measure. Will make housing more affordable by working with state and local governments to link transport projects with housing to increase supply.
LABOR Will limit negative gearing to new housing from   July 2017 and halve capital gains tax discount available to assets held for more than a year. They say this would improve Budget bottom line by $32 billion over a decade and improve affordability.
BANKS COALITION Boost funding to Australia's financial sector watchdog by $120 million over four years under a user-pays model. Would allow the Australian Securities and Investment Commission to step up surveillance capabilities.
LABOR Labor says only a Royal Commission will suffice when it comes to stamping out misconduct in Australia's banking and financial sector. They estimate such an inquiry would span two years and cost $53 million.
CLIMATE CHANGE COALITION Australia signed an agreement in Paris this year to keep global warming below 2C. The Coalition says this is a substantial commitment and anything more would make Australian businesses non-competitive.
LABOR Labor has vowed to see 50 per cent of Australia's energy derived from renewable sources by 2030. In his Budget reply speech, Shorten said investing in clean energy would create jobs.
HEALTH COALITION Considering privatising parts of Medicare. Remove pathology bulk-billing incentives worth $650 million over four years. Freeze Medicare rebates at $37 for six years, forcing co-payment introduction.
LABOR Will protect Medicare, oppose pathology cuts and restore child health dental scheme. Mental health a priority, including reducing suicides by 50 per cent over a decade. Support National Mental Health Commission's recommendations.
INNOVATION COALITION The $1.1 billion National Innovation and Science Agenda includes granting residence to migrants who start a business, $30 million Cyber Security Growth Centre, and a $250 million Biomedical Translation Fund.
LABOR Boost science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills. Includes teaching computer coding in every Australian school by 2020, creating Regional Innovation Hubs, tax incentives for start-ups, and Landing Pads for Australian innovators overseas.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COALITION Wants to reintroduce Australian Building and Construction Commission to police the sector. Also a watchdog for registered organisations so union officials are as accountable as company directors. Lowering of weekend penalty rates expected.
LABOR Wants to protect weekend penalty wage rates for workers, suggesting they compensate people for the family time they miss out on by working weekends. Labor is opposed to the ABCC because it says it would have excessive powers.
NDIS COALITION Create a savings fund to contribute to the cost of the $22 billon National Disability Insurance Scheme, half of which is paid for by the Federal Government, half by states and territories. Will collect unspent NDIS money plus proceeds of focused welfare spending.
LABOR Introduced the NDIS and maintains it was fully funded when they left office. Say the 2013 Budget set out a 10-year plan which included increasing the Medicare Levy as well as a number of other measures. They say these funds are already sitting in consolidated revenue.
WELFARE COALITION Will crack down on welfare rorts. New $96.1 million Try, Test and Learn Fund to move people off welfare into work and pay public housing rent.
LABOR Supports welfare integrity measures. Strongly opposes planned cuts to family payments and paid parental leave. Opposed to increase in the pension age to 70, believes current age pension arrangements, which gradually increase the preservation age to 67, should remain.
REGIONAL AUSTRALIA COALITION Almost 400 measures to boost connectivity, innovation and infra-structure. Funding for: Melbourne-Brisbane Inland Rail, road safety programs, $73.6 million over four years for regional development, and health initiatives including $21 million Health Care Homes.
LABOR Create regional innovation hubs in universities and TAFEs. Also want to create a regional innovation fund, while continuing to commit to addressing health and education gaps between rural and metropolitan areas as well as ensuring farming sustainability into the future.
SUPERANNUATION COALITION A dozen changes, designed to save $2.88 billion over four years. Includes lowering caps on concessional contributions to $25,000 a year, and limiting amount of zero-tax retirement phase account transfers to $1.6 million.
LABOR Reduce tax-free concession to people with annual super incomes from earnings of more than $75,000 with anything above that taxed at 15 per cent. Reduce the Higher Income Super Charge threshold from $300,000 to $250,000, saving $1.9 billion over forward estimates.
HIGHER EDUCATION COALITION Unpopular 2014-15 higher education reforms will be delayed by an additional year. University fee deregulation has been abandoned.
LABOR Pledged to restore "integrity to the training system" by getting rid of dodgy private colleges and instead invest in TAFE. Want to introduce a Vocational Education and Training Ombudsman and to change the funding model for private colleges to bring them more in line with university fee structures.
INFRASTRUCTURE COALITION Wants to create "30-minute cities" where people can get where they need to go within half an hour. Includes new financing unit to work alongside private sector. $50 million to accelerate major projects, including Melbourne Metro rail tunnel.
LABOR Create a $10 billion "concrete bank" to help fund Infrastructure Australia. Projects include Melbourne Metro, Western Sydney rail, Perth Metronet, Adelaide Gawler line, and Brisbane's Cross River Rail.
YOUTH COALITION A $572 million Youth PaTH program to help disadvantaged under 25s, including six months' pre-employment training and access to internships. Job seekers will get an extra $100 a week, while participating businesses will receive $1000.
LABOR Wants to lower voting age to 16. Also has a $21 million plan to tackle youth unemployment called Youth Jobs Connect aimed at areas with high rates of youth unemployment. Would help 3000 young people move into work. The plan combines job-readiness training with work experience.
TAX AVOIDANCE COALITION $679 million Tax Office crackdown on multinationals, private companies and high-wealth individuals. ATO's specialist audit and investigation teams will be boosted. Also will establish a taskforce aimed at recovering $3.7 billion in tax by 2020.
LABOR Change the thin capitalisation rules to reduce the amount of debt that multinational companies can claim deductions for in Australia. Committed to boosting ATO funding to ensure it has the power to increase compliance.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COALITION $100 million package including GPS tracking trials, home security installation grants, and expansion of a telephone counselling service. $30m for a TV ad campaign and $100m over three years.
LABOR Committed to $70 million over four years as an interim measure to help victims access support services. Includes boosting funding for community legal centres, grants to community organisations that help people with home security and other protection measures and further research into perpetrator mapping technologies.
COMPANY TAX COALITION Progressively cut tax rates for small businesses to 25 per cent by 2026-27. Broaden the definition of small business from those with an annual turnover of less than $2 million to those with turnover of below $1 billion in 2022-23.
LABOR Supports cutting the tax rate in a bid to foster growth - in fact they announced it as their policy before the Coalition - but they don't believe the thresholds should be broadened. Now say it is not the time for tax relief for big businesses.
PERSONAL TAX COALITION Curb bracket creep for middle-income earners. Income threshold for the 32.5 cent tax bracket up from $80,000 to $87,000. Temporary deficit levy of 2 per cent on income over $180,000 removed as planned.
LABORSupports changing the third tax bracket to prevent bracket creep, but thinks the deficit levy should stay. Don't believe Australia's Budget position justifies cutting taxes for high-income earners.