John Howard believes Labor leader Bill Shorten was treating the election campaign like a "coronation" until he started getting asked tough questions.
The former prime minister stirred up the Liberal faithful at a rally, telling them Mr Shorten is facing scrutiny and cracking under the pressure of the campaign.
"The leader of the opposition Mr Short thought the election campaign was going to be a coronation," Mr Howard told the crowd in Sydney on Sunday.
"He thought all he had to do was turn up and wave with one hand and get through a few set piece presentations and all would be disclosed on election day and he would have a very easy victory.
"(But) people have started to ask him questions, and he's getting very irritated about that. That was not meant to happen."
Mr Howard said Labor was pursuing the "politics of envy and division" with its plans to change negative gearing rules.
"The last thing the real estate market needs at the moment is the removal of incentives to invest," he said.
"I can't think of anything that is greater economic madness at a time when house prices have softened."
A YouGov/Galaxy poll published by News Corp on Sunday shows Labor is still leading the coalition 52 per cent to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
It also shows Labor's primary vote is up to 37 per cent, three percentage points higher than the 2016 election, which the coalition won by one seat.
