Neil Findlay has pledged to tackle poverty in Scotland as he officially launches his campaign for the Labour leadership.
The MSP set out his vision for the future of the country and Scottish Labour at a rally in his home town of Fauldhouse, West Lothian.
He urged a return to the "timeless Labour values of community, solidarity, fairness and justice".
A 2016 election manifesto under his leadership will vow to cut youth unemployment, replace the national minimum wage with a living wage, tackle the "scandal" of social care and deliver an NHS "fit to meet the demands of the 21st century", he promised.
Mr Findlay faces competition from MP Jim Murphy and MSP Sarah Boyack for the role, dramatically vacated by Johann Lamont who resigned in October accusing Westminster colleagues of treating the party in Scotland like a branch office.
The left wing MSP, who has won the support of several trade unions, is expected to draw on his background as a construction worker, student, housing worker and teacher to argue he understands the problems people face.
He said: "Where I've had the chance, I've made a difference - and I know that Labour, the party of the NHS, the party of devolution and the party of fairness at work has made a difference for Scotland and can do so again.
"We have to use the powers we have and the powers we will get to make a difference in every community to transform Scotland and improve the lives of all our people.
"And to achieve that we must put tackling poverty, tackling health and wealth inequality at the heart of all we do.
"It is shameful that families in our country cannot afford to feed their children or heat their homes and have to rely on food banks.
"A national strategy to end poverty in Scotland will be at the heart of our 2016 manifesto when I am Labour leader."
Mr Findlay said that if elected leader and then first minister, he will move to give vocational education the same priority as academic education and end "the zero hours, low pay culture" in the workplace.
He said: "The most equal societies are the most successful societies so it will be my aim to end exploitation and insecurity in the workplace, replacing the national minimum wage with a living wage.
"It is not acceptable that in 2014 over 400,000 Scots earn under £7.85 per hour. Tackling poverty pay is a political choice and it is one that I will make."
The MSP said that "more and more" of Scotland's care homes are failing to provide an acceptable standard of care.
"I will put an end to the social care scandal and will make social care a rewarding and fairly paid career - this is about the well-being of our elderly people, not about the profit margins of the company shareholders," he said.
On the NHS, he pledged: "I will ensure it is fit to meet the demands of the 21st century. But let me be clear - there will be no privatisation of Scotland's NHS under my leadership."
Mr Findlay also said that he fully supports the Smith Commission process to deliver further powers for the Scottish Parliament.
Values
Meanwhile, the GMB Union said it was backing Mr Findlay and supporting MP Katy Clark for deputy leader.
Harry Donaldson, GMB Scotland Regional Secretary said: "After having gone through a thorough process in which all candidates for the leader and deputy leader were interviewed, the lay member-led Scottish Regional Committee decided to support Neil Findlay and Katy Clark for leader and deputy leader.
"The view of the committee following a lengthy debate was that it was time for change and that Labour had to return to its roots and regain its Socialist values."
On Saturday Rival candidate Mr Murphy told activists in a conference call they "can, should and must" win elections in 2015 and 2016.
He said: "There are too many working people in Scotland living in poverty and too many children not getting the start they deserve in life for us to face yet more years of Tory and SNP Government.
“We can achieve better for Scotland with a strong Scottish Labour Party – a freeze on energy bills, more money for our NHS and a pay rise for nearly half a million Scots earning less than the Living Wage."
On Friday Ms Boyack launched her bid for the party's leadership with calls for "bold and radical" new approaches.
She dubbed herself the "listening leader", outlining plans to publish 100 new ideas aimed at improving people's lives, after meeting with people and hearing their suggestions throughout her campaign.