Opposition Leader Tony Abbott plans to "counter lies with fact" when he debates Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on a national showdown on health on Tuesday.
Neither Mr Abbott nor Mr Rudd is expected to put forward any major policy proposals when they meet for the nationally-televised lunchtime debate at the National Press Club.
Labor goes into the debate with its health reform proposal on the table and is expected to flesh out some details of the ambitious plan for the commonwealth to take majority control of funding for public hospitals.
Mr Rudd is still struggling to win unequivocal backing from the states and territories for his proposal and hasn't been invited to take part in a telephone hook-up between leaders on Tuesday.
They are planning to discuss their priorities ahead of a Council of Australian Governments (CoAG) meeting on April 19.
While health is shaping up as one of the biggest issues of the election year, observers aren't expecting much from the clash, mindful it is likely to yield little in the way of policy and see a recycling of well-worn themes.
The Rudd government has repeatedly accused Mr Abbott of ripping $1 billion out of health when he was the portfolio minister.
"Mr Abbott has two challenges - explain why he took $1 billion out of the public hospital system and ... (explain) his plan and how will he fund it for the future," Mr Rudd told reporters.
The claim is based on the fact the Howard government reduced planned spending on public hospitals by $1 billion in 2003 when former health minister Kay Patterson negotiated a new five-year deal with the states.
Mr Rudd urged Australians to remember Mr Abbott had promised to deliver a plan for the health and hospital system three years ago but it never eventuated.
"How can you trust a man who three years ago promised to develop a new plan for Australia's health and hospital system, and three years later, has failed to deliver even on that," he said.
Mr Abbott has his own strategy to take on Mr Rudd but knows what to expect.
Preparing for the debate with health spokesman Peter Dutton on Monday, Mr Abbott indicated he planned a calm rebuttal of those claims.
"We all know the prime minister will want to blaggard me and he'll want to besmirch our record but, without being in any way over the top with a response, I think we've got to just calmly counter lies with fact," Mr Abbott said.
He wants to hold the government's policy up to the light.
"There are enormous gaps in it," Mr Abbott told ABC radio.
Some of the issues he believes need to be addressed include the fate of country hospitals and how states will be held to their 40 per cent share of funding.
He is pushing Mr Rudd to deliver more beds into the system but won't say how he would deal with the problem.
Both leaders are hoping to use the debate as a springboard as they head into a seven-week parliamentary hiatus, where they will be keen to win over voters.
According to the latest poll by Essential Research, 58 per cent of people support the Labor hospital plan, while 12 per cent oppose it.
On the question of the economy, however, the Liberals are seen to have the upper hand.
The Liberals ranked higher than Labor on the question of keeping interest rates low, controlling inflation, dealing with the budget and handling the economy.
As politicians use the parliamentary recess to spruik their message, Mr Abbott will face a live audience of 200 people when he appears on ABC TV's Q&A on April 5.
He will appear solo on the program, as have Mr Rudd and former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull.
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