Bill Shorten's first day in public on the election campaign started with fresh flowers at dawn and some negative feedback about negative gearing.
On a visit to the Sydney flower markets the Labor leader heard from locals about the economy in the marginal seat of Reid, which is vacant after Liberal Craig Laundy's retirement.
The Labor leader talked up his small business investment guarantee with local flower growers and vegetable sellers as he pressed the flesh in the busy market.
Flower grower Wayne Inglis chatted to him about import rules for flowers, which he says have flooded in from overseas due to recent free trade agreements.
Mr Inglis said he wasn't too fussed about who was prime minister, as long as they conserved money and strengthened the economy.
"I think that we need to consolidate this country financially," Mr Inglis told reporters on Friday morning.
"I always believe, if you've got a good strong economy then everything is going to fall into place."
Another grower had a long chat with Mr Shorten and told him his negative gearing policy was the wrong call at the wrong time.
Mr Shorten got a friendly invitation to a Good Friday service at St Charbel's church in Punchbowl, which he said he would accept if he was in Sydney that day.
The opposition leader got a mixed reaction from the voters he met - two women shook his hand but later told AAP they had no idea who he was.
But another voter, Ben, said he would vote for Mr Shorten because of his promises to make cancer treatment cheaper.
Labor is counting on its healthcare spending to win over voters, with another $125 million for cancer researchers to be announced on Friday morning.
