Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ruled out resorting to a deal with cross-benchers to form another minority Labor government, as both major parties move to minimise the chances of another hung parliament after the federal election.
The Greens have accused Labor and the Coalition of shutting them out of politics after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott announced that Liberal candidates would recommend the minority party be preferenced last - below Labor - in every seat on September 7.
The Prime Minister declined to meet the Coalition challenge for him to match that pledge, saying preferences were "organisational matters", and would not say whether he supported any preference deals being made with the Greens or not.
But he did promise that Labor would not again negotiate with the crossbench in the event of another hung parliament.
"My mission ... is that we are returned as a majority government. That's the best thing for the nation," Mr Rudd said.
"We'll be not entering into any coalition agreements, we won't be having any negotiated agreements, we won't have any deals with any independent or minor party.
"Our objective is to be a government, a majority government in our own right."
PM ups pressure on Abbott over 'sex appeal' comment
The Prime Minister also took aim at Mr Abbott for his comments yesterday in which he said the female Liberal candidate for the Western Sydney seat of Lindsay was "young, feisty" and had "a bit of sex appeal".
In the face of some criticism over the description, Mr Abbott explained he was "being exuberant" and was having "a daggy dad moment".
"She has the X-factor, that's what she's got," he later explained to 2SM radio, referring to the candidate, Fiona Scott.
"I was a bit exuberant and maybe a bit old-fashioned in some respects."
But Mr Rudd said any employer who made similar remarks about an employee would be in "serious strife".
"My policy's pretty simple, that in modern Australia, neither sexism nor racism nor homophobia has any place whatsoever," he said.
"I believe people look to our national leaders to set that sort of example."
Abbott's 'captain's call' to put Greens last nationwide
Earlier, Tony Abbott announced that Liberal candidates would recommend on how-to-vote cards that the Greens be put last.
"I have made this call - this is my captain's call if you like," Mr Abbott said in Brisbane.
"And I say to Mr Rudd, be man enough to do the same."
At the last election, the ALP did strike a direct preference deal with the Greens for the Senate and key Lower House seats.
But today Mr Rudd would only say that: "All preference matters are handled by the national secretary of our party and I'm not aware of what agreements are being reached".
"Frankly I intend to just leave it all to them. These are organisational matters."
Mr Abbott has already ruled out leading a minority government, which he has described as an "experiment that failed".
Mr Abbott says if there is no clear result there should be another election, but Mr Rudd has not gone quite that far.
"The challenge for Mr Abbott and ourselves is to work with the parliament which these, the Australian people, then elect," the Prime Minister said.
Bandt accuses Labor and Liberals of deal to hurt Greens
Greens MP Adam Bandt, who holds the seat of Melbourne with a 5.9 per cent margin over the ALP, says he believes it is a "badge of honour" that his party is being targeted.
"It appears that Labor and Tony Abbott have struck a preference deal in an attempt to unseat the Greens from the seat of Melbourne," he said.
"Well, it won't work."
"The Greens are now the real Opposition to Tony Abbott.
"To win the seat of Melbourne in our own right, we only need here a small increase in our primary vote. We got 36 per cent last time. That was off the back of a 13 per cent swing. People in Melbourne made history by voting for the Greens. With a swing somewhere in the order of about 5 per cent, so just over a third of what we got last time, we'll be able to hold the seat of Melbourne in our own right."