Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared Canberra is about to be showcased as the "capital of consensus" and at "its most meaningful" as it prepares to host the Albanese government's much vaunted jobs and skills summit.

The two-day event, to be held at Parliament House from Thursday, has been derided by some quarters, including the crossbench, as a "big PR stunt", but Dr Chalmers said the summit lead-up was imbued with the spirit of cooperation and collaboration while the government was "not naive" but "enthused and energised" about the task ahead.