Labor returning fire on attack ads: Rudd

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is standing by Labor's new negative attack advertisements, saying the party's just returning fire.

ALP headquarters has released a new round of attack ads to the commercial broadcasters focusing on what it says voters can expect from a Tony Abbott-led government.

The ads focus on health, education and jobs and say the opposition leader isn't being honest about his plans.

Mr Rudd defended the strategy on Monday, saying the coalition was outspending Labor 10 to one on negative advertising.

"If you were in the firing line for two weeks of wall-to-wall negative ads on yourself, it would probably have an impact on what people thought of you," he told the Seven Network.

"Now we're returning fire, based on policy facts."

Watch: Why do political parties use attack ads?

He said the ads were about accountability.

"You may say it's negative but we say it's putting the spotlight on what Australia would be like if Mr Abbott became prime minister."

Mr Abbott said the negative ads may backfire on Labor because of Mr Rudd's pledge to be positive when he became prime minister again.

"He can't open his mouth without attacking the coalition and attacking me," Mr Abbott told 2SM radio in Sydney

"Labor's ad campaign is exclusively negative. That's because they have no record to defend and have nothing positive to say about our future."

Senior Liberal Christopher Pyne said the coalition had produced "positive ads about our plan for the future".

But he added that Australians need to be reminded about Mr Rudd's background, including the controversial schemes introduced under his past leadership, such as pink batts and school halls.

"This campaign from Labor is as chaotic as the last six years of the Labor government has been," Mr Pyne told Sky News.

He said the latest round of campaign ads shows the prime minister has broken his commitment that there would be no negative campaigning from the ALP.