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Australia elections: Rudd and Abbott in final push | Australia elections: Rudd and Abbott in final push |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Australian political rivals Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott have hit the campaign trail in a final push for votes ahead of Saturday's election. | Australian political rivals Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott have hit the campaign trail in a final push for votes ahead of Saturday's election. |
Opinion polls place the opposition coalition, led by Mr Abbott, ahead of the ruling Labor party. | Opinion polls place the opposition coalition, led by Mr Abbott, ahead of the ruling Labor party. |
But Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appealed to undecided voters, saying they could close the gap. | But Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appealed to undecided voters, saying they could close the gap. |
The economy, asylum policy and carbon tax are amongst the key issues concerning voters. | The economy, asylum policy and carbon tax are amongst the key issues concerning voters. |
Latest polls suggest the opposition Liberal-National coalition will take 53% of the vote to Labor's 47%. All the major papers, except newspaper The Age, are backing the coalition. | Latest polls suggest the opposition Liberal-National coalition will take 53% of the vote to Labor's 47%. All the major papers, except newspaper The Age, are backing the coalition. |
On Friday Mr Rudd was campaigning in the New South Wales Central Coast, while Mr Abbott spoke at a guitar factory in Melbourne. | On Friday Mr Rudd was campaigning in the New South Wales Central Coast, while Mr Abbott spoke at a guitar factory in Melbourne. |
Mr Rudd emphasised the Labor government's economic record and said his priority was "jobs, more jobs and jobs, health, hospitals and broadband, and to keep support for cost of living pressures". | Mr Rudd emphasised the Labor government's economic record and said his priority was "jobs, more jobs and jobs, health, hospitals and broadband, and to keep support for cost of living pressures". |
He also criticised the coalition's U-turn on internet policy as a "debacle". | He also criticised the coalition's U-turn on internet policy as a "debacle". |
The opposition on Thursday announced a policy to filter adult content from the internet, with customers having to opt-out for access. The policy was retracted a few hours later. | The opposition on Thursday announced a policy to filter adult content from the internet, with customers having to opt-out for access. The policy was retracted a few hours later. |
Mr Abbott said a failure of "quality control" was to blame for the fact that the policy was "poorly worded". | Mr Abbott said a failure of "quality control" was to blame for the fact that the policy was "poorly worded". |
"We don't support filtering the internet," he said. | "We don't support filtering the internet," he said. |
'A new way' | 'A new way' |
Mr Abbott said the coalition would "end the waste, stop the boats, and build roads of the 21st Century". | Mr Abbott said the coalition would "end the waste, stop the boats, and build roads of the 21st Century". |
He also warned voters against "another hung parliament, and a weak and divided Labor-Green government". | He also warned voters against "another hung parliament, and a weak and divided Labor-Green government". |
"[The] only way to have a new way is to choose a new government," he said. | "[The] only way to have a new way is to choose a new government," he said. |
The opposition released more of its planned cuts and policy costings on Thursday, including a A$4.5bn ($4bn, £2.6bn) cut in foreign aid over three years that would be diverted to domestic infrastructure projects. | |
The proposed cut has been criticised by NGOs and rights groups. | The proposed cut has been criticised by NGOs and rights groups. |
Norman Gillespie, chief executive of Unicef Australia, told Radio Australia: "This has come as quite a shock, the size of it, the scale of it and simply the giving up of the principle of a civilised nation helping those who are in extreme poverty and in need," he said. | Norman Gillespie, chief executive of Unicef Australia, told Radio Australia: "This has come as quite a shock, the size of it, the scale of it and simply the giving up of the principle of a civilised nation helping those who are in extreme poverty and in need," he said. |