Ruddslide issues make comeback: Swan

Former federal treasurer Wayne Swan says issues that led to Labor's 2007 election defeat of John Howard's government still echo today.

Ten years ago, Labor led by Kevin Rudd won government after 11 years of Liberal-National coalition rule, on the back of the biggest federal election swing in more than 30 years.

The campaign also unseated a prime minister for only the second time in Australia's history.

Mr Swan told AAP the key factor in the election was Mr Howard's attack on wages, via the coalition's Work Choices policy.

"Howard had always pretended he stood for the battlers, but he was creating them," Mr Swan said.

He said the era of "trickle down economics" returned with Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.

"The trickle down agenda won't die," he said.

"They might have had a tactical victory against us (in 2013) in the sense that our own disunity brought things undone, but it camouflaged their continuing march to the right and trickle down economics."