Opposition Leader Luke Foley insists Labor can cause a major upset and defeat the Baird government in the NSW election, saying only a fool would write his party off.
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The Labor leader made the declaration at the party's official campaign launch on Sunday at the Campbelltown Catholic Club in Sydney's south-west.
"Anyone who has lived through the last 10 years of Australian politics and says an election is unwinnable is a fool," he told about 700 Labor party faithful.
Mr Foley, a cricket tragic, compared the challenge of overcoming the Coalition's comfortable majority on March 28 to Australia's legendary Test comeback against England in 1882 that began the Ashes.
England needed just 85 runs in the final innings to win.
"But our first great Australian fast bowler - Fred Spofforth 'The Demon' - told his teammates at the final change of innings: this thing can be done - and they did," Mr Foley said.
"Friends in NSW, at this election, this thing can be done."
Labor had "listened and changed" since its devastating 2011 election defeat and was ready to govern again.
Former prime minister Bob Hawke said Labor had learned from its mistakes, alluding to the corruption woes revealed at the ICAC that tainted the party when it last led the state.
"It's cleaned itself up enormously. I don't want to name names, but you know what I'm talking about," he said.
"It's a new party [and] a clean party."
Mr Foley said the election would be a referendum on Mr Baird's plan to partially lease the state's electricity network.
He also drew inspiration from Queensland Labor's stunning election victory against the one-term pro-privatisation LNP government.
"If the Queensland election tells us one thing, it is this: whatever the majority, voters can stop privatisation by voting Labor," Mr Foley said.
He committed an extra $1.3 billion to schools and TAFE, $1.7 billion to health and said every new school built would include childcare or before and after school care facilities on site.
He also confirmed Labor would place a moratorium on the coal seam gas industry with bans on mining activity on the north coast and in Sydney's sensitive water catchment areas.
The Liberal's Kiama MP Gareth Ward said Mr Foley's hour-long presentation "was rich on rhetoric and low on substance" with no specific Illawarra or South Coast policy.
"Today was the Opposition's opportunity to announce policy and commitments for the Illawarra and South Coast," Mr Ward said.
"While the Opposition Leader talked a lot about Sydney and Sydney's needs, it seems he cares little for the Illawarra and South Coast and our needs.
"Labor concerns itself with Sydney - and their 16 years of neglect in government proves this in spades.
"All Illawarra and South Coast residents will get out of today's 'campaign launch' is higher taxes and higher electricity prices."
