Luke Foley went to a political battleground on Wednesday.

The Opposition Leader took to the Central Coast, his second straight day campaigning outside Sydney. But three days from election day, Mr Foley does not seem concerned with announcing gifts.

This is an election where it has been severely outspent by a government promising to raise $20 billion Labor can not match. And it is one of the first campaigns in which a substantial amount of the electorate will vote early, making the last week less crucial than it has ever been for spending sprees.

Instead, he came bearing attack lines.

"I don't trust him," he said at the outset. "It's whites-of-your-eyes time now. He has to answer some questions".

Mr Foley makes a point of standing in the sun until all journalists' questions are exhausted. Then, he challenges them to keep going.

"I've never ducked a question," he said, pointedly in reference to the Premier's refusal to discuss meetings with foreign governments interested in buying the state's electricity network. But it is also not a difficult boast for a man who has been Opposition Leader for only 80 days.

Labor's campaign line is now all about responding to – or, opponents would say, stoking – community concern about the possibility of selling the power grid to a foreign government.

"Perhaps ASIO might want to be asked their views on the matter," he said. "You can transport [computer] data along the high voltage line".

Mr Foley tries very hard to avoid the perception he is "dog whistling" by appealing to voters' base emotions and risking goodwill with our biggest trading partner. But it's a difficult balancing act.

He was at pains to stress that his stance is against foreign buyers in general and even a deal with his "friends in the Irish government" would leave him ill-at-ease.

The backdrop for Mr Foley's press conference was visually unappealing but significant for two reasons.

The central coast was the site of that Vales Point power station: an asset the state government tried to flog for about $300 million in December but failed.

It was a reminder that if Chinese bidders are excluded, others might pay less, or the sale may be passed in.

But the central coast has also been the scene of Liberal donations scandals.

Three MPs here have stood aside from the party, after coming before ICAC to answer questions about their role in an alleged scheme to mask the source of illegal donations. The incline on the coast is steep: three seats Labor has its eyes on in the low-income beachhead are held by between four and 12 per cent.

Mr Foley is now also challenging his opponent to answer politically impossible questions, such as which projects he would cancel if he secures less than the $13 billion he's budgeted for. (He also wants the Premier to disclose his reserve price for the assets, glibly dismissing the idea that might harm sale prospects).

The government says it is a long way off choosing a bidder and that any foreign bids would be scrutinised by the Foreign Investment Review Board, including for National security concerns.

It calls Mr Foley's rhetoric "desperate".

Whichever it is, he's bouncing on his heels.