John Howard had the GST. Bob Hawke had Medicare.
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So what would be the legacy of a government led by Anthony Albanese?
"High-value manufacturing, driven by clean energy, providing good, secure, well-paid jobs in the future industries of Australia," Mr Albanese replied when asked the question on Brisbane local radio.
The response was delivered without hesitation, a clear sign the Labor leader believed the words he was saying.
In an election campaign so far devoid of policy debate, and in large part defined by his own missteps, Mr Albanese tried on Tuesday to turn voters' minds to the future of Australia and what it might look like without Scott Morrison at the helm.
The Labor leader travelled to the suburbs of Brisbane to tour a factory which manufactures electric vehicle charging stations.
The work done inside Tritium's Murarrie plant is the embodiment of the legacy Mr Albanese spoke of on the radio earlier in the morning.
Flanked by two green and white charging stations and four of his colleagues, the Labor leader declared: "The future is right here, right now."
If the federal election was decided purely on which party appeared more focused on the future, which party wanted to embrace the challenges of a post-pandemic Australia, Labor would win. Comfortably.
But that's not what will decide this election.
Simply talking up his aspirations for the future won't be enough to win Anthony Albanese the keys to The Lodge and Kirribilli House.
This campaign is not the contest of ideas some (perhaps naively) had hoped for.
Instead, it's an ugly skirmish being fought and to be won in the trenches.
After a horror first week which stalled almost all of its pre-election momentum, Labor has gone on the offensive.
Monday marked the unofficial launch of "Mediscare 2.0", as Mr Albanese and in particular Jim Chalmers warned voters that Australia's universal health system would be at risk under a re-elected Morrison government.
On Tuesday, the pair were again pushing the claim that the Coalition was planning to force pensioners onto the cashless welfare card.
The justification for either claim is weak at best, or non-existent at worst.
Yet Labor, staring down the barrel of another term in opposition, is pressing on.
Why?
Anthony Albanese won't get a chance to forge a legacy if he doesn't win on May 21.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
