Australians do not like being told who to vote for by anybody - and particularly by billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, according to Treasurer Chris Bowen.
As key Labor ministers spread across the country to spruik their election message in the wake of disappointing polling, Mr Murdoch used his Twitter account to emphasise his view of the campaign.
"Conviction politicians hard to find anywhere. Australia's Tony Abbott rare exception. Opponent Rudd all over the place convincing nobody," Mr Murdoch tweeted early on Tuesday.
At a skate park in Perth to announce more than $14 million in funding for community projects in WA, Mr Bowen said Mr Murdoch's political views were well known - but not necessarily widely held.
"Rupert Murdoch has made his views very well known through Twitter and obviously a number of his newspapers have made their views well known," Mr Bowen said.
"That is their right. But the Australian people will choose in this election and I don't think they appreciate getting a how-to-vote instruction from anybody.
"They will make a decision on the basis of the policies they weigh up and who has the best positive plan for the future of Australia."
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's daughter Jessica was quick to respond to Mr Murdoch.
"Thanks for taking the time each day to tell us what to think," she tweeted back.
