Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten have had to mop up gaffes by frontbenchers, amid a looming diplomatic row with Indonesia.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told an election forum on Wednesday that Australia had been a major meat supplier to Indonesia in 2011, when the Gillard Labor government decided to suspend live cattle exports over cruelty claims.
But the suspension created immense bad will, which had ripple effects.
"Might I remind you that when we closed down the live animal export industry, it was around about the same time that we started seeing a lot of people arriving in boats in Australia," Mr Joyce said in Goulburn.
Mr Turnbull told reporters in Rockhampton - Australia's beef capital - there was no link between the Indonesian government and people smuggling.
"Our cooperation with Indonesia in terms of stopping people smuggling is very, very strong," Mr Turnbull said on Thursday.
Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told AAP his country had always been a "responsible country" on tackling people smuggling and its commitment could not be questioned.
Mr Joyce clarified he was not saying the export suspension caused the Indonesians to start sending people to Australia.
But he did suggest it made negotiations on border protection issues with Indonesia difficult.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who took his campaign to Darwin on Thursday, said it was an "ignorant" remark from a member of the government's "clown brigade".
Mr Shorten had a problem of his own in the form of Labor frontbencher David Feeney being unable to say in a Sky News interview whether the opposition would keep the schoolkids bonus, higher pension or family payments.
For months the opposition has criticised the government for scrapping the bonus and winding back pensions and family payments.
Mr Shorten said a Labor government would not reinstate the bonus, and would review pensions.
"We do not believe, looking at the latest set of books that the Government has just revealed last week, that we're in a position to restore the changes they've made," he said.
Treasurer Scott Morrison, who will debate his shadow Chris Bowen on Friday, said Labor had engaged in cynical politics.
"It was designed to drive up their support knowing full well that ... they would have to walk away, as they appear to have done," Mr Morrison said.
Labor also sought to hose down a row over Northern Territory senator Nova Peris quitting mid-campaign.
Senator Peris, who appeared at a Sorry Day rally with Mr Shorten, said her decision was purely based on being there for her family.
"I am a politician but I am also a human."
