Jim Chalmers said criticism on the timing of the opposition's costings, due to be released on Thursday, is "confected outrage" from the government.
"The Australian people aren't focused on press conferences or the timing of costings release, they're focused on whether or not they can feed their kids ... whether they can earn enough to keep up, let alone get ahead," Dr Chalmers told ABC radio.
"There are many more important things at stake in this election."
Dr Chalmers denied Labor's budget deficits would be $20 billion larger than the government's own forecasts and said proposed policies would grow the economy in the right way.
Meanwhile, Scott Morrison has conceded he could have been a more "sensitive" leader as Australia grappled with the pandemic, natural disasters and global uncertainty.
Appearing on Nine's A Current Affair on Tuesday night, the prime minister was asked how long he had known he was a "bulldozer" and what he would have done differently.
Mr Morrison said he would have "militarised" the vaccine rollout, which had been beset by delays at the outset of the program, more quickly.
"If we had done it earlier I think that would have made a difference," he said.
Two new polls show the election race has tightened in the coalition's favour ahead of voting day on May 21, although Labor is still ahead on a two-party preferred basis.
A Resolve Strategic poll conducted for Nine newspapers shows Labor leads by 51 per cent to 49 per cent, compared to 54-46 two weeks ago.
An Essential poll published by The Guardian on Wednesday found Labor was on 48 per cent compared to 46 per cent for the coalition, against 49-45 a fortnight ago.
"This was always going to be incredibly tight," shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers told the Nine network on Wednesday.
"We have always expected that. We take absolutely no votes or no outcomes for granted."
Cost of living pressures, wages and economic management are expected to be at the forefront of the election campaign on Wednesday, just days out from polling day.
Wages are expected to have only grown at half the rate of inflation when the latest figures are released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.
"What it will show, if it comes out as the economists expect, we are about to see the biggest real wages cut in more than 20 years," Dr Chalmers said.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will on Wednesday speak at the National Press Club ahead of Saturday's election.
"Four more sleeps to go. Look, it's a daunting prospect the next four days, you can see the end of the journey," he told Nine News on Tuesday afternoon.
"But I've enjoyed the campaign and I'm comfortable we've left nothing on the field."
Mr Albanese is expected to face questions about the impact of Labor's election promises on the federal budget, ahead of the official release of the numbers on Thursday.
The government's costings total $2.3 billion and will be paid for by increasing the public service efficiency dividend to two per cent, from 1.5 per cent, which will raise about an extra $1 billion for a total of $2.7 billion.
Mr Morrison is starting the day campaigning in Geelong in the marginal seat of Corangamite.
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