The coalition's preference deal with controversial mining magnate Clive Palmer has left some Warringah voters in "disbelief," according to independent candidate Zali Steggall, who believes the Liberals are now trying to win at all costs.
Ms Steggall is a good chance to wrestle the northern beaches seat off former prime minister Tony Abbott, riding a wave of discontent with the government in an electorate increasingly concerned with climate change.
Mr Abbott suffered a nine per cent primary vote swing against him at the 2016 election and now holds the seat with an 11 per cent margin.
Ms Steggall, who bookies rank as the favourite to win on Saturday, said the coalition's move to preference Clive Palmer would hurt them in Warringah.
"For a lot of moderates there is a real kind of disbelief that there is a willingness to work with someone like that," Ms Steggall told AAP.
"Decisions like that leave people really wondering where are your values."
Ms Steggall, a former Olympic skier, said the Liberal Party were trying to win at any cost and not the right way.
"If you come back to my sporting days, it's not a win at all costs situation, you've got to win right, you've got to win with integrity," she said.
"How low are you prepared to go?"
The fact Mr Abbott had another former prime minister, John Howard, campaign alongside him showed the Liberals were looking to the past, not the future, Ms Steggall argued.
"At the moment, as you saw with the walkthrough with John Howard, the alternative is to go back to 'the good old days'.
"I don't think it helps, I think they've missed the point."
Mr Abbott, who's described himself as an underdog, says he's feeling more confident than he did a month ago.
"I've been saying for months that I'm in the fight of my life and that's true," Mr Abbott told reporters this week.
"I'm in the position of the marathon runner who has just got into the stadium and there are 400 metres to go, I can see someone just a few yards ahead, and I'm determined to run that person down."
The ex-Liberal leader said climate change was an important issue, but not the only important issue, and the coalition government had struck a good balance when addressing the problem.
