It's day 23 of the federal election campaign, and both sides of politics are shaping up for the final sprint to the finish.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has again paused campaigning to deal with important issues at hand, namely the growing crisis in Syria.
Looking at policy pledges, Labor yesterday rolled out renewed plans to develop high speed rail for Australia, but don't expect any fast-tracking if the party does win the election.
The earliest Australians could hope to take a three-hour journey between Sydney and Melbourne by train will be in 2035.
In the Coalition camp, Tony Abbott has promised incentives for long-term unemployed people who find and hold down jobs. Under the plan, unemployed people under 30 who have been out of work for more than 12 months will receive $2500 for keeping a job for a year.
Mr Abbott has also moved to pledge compensation for victims of terrorism, which could be back-dated to include those affected by past attacks such as 9/11.
Sydney could lose its Garden Island defence facility with Kevin Rudd this morning announcing plans to close the base and move its personnel further north if Labor is successful in September.
Onwards to the lighter side of the trail. Cross-referencing Australian politics to the highly regarded but notoriously bloody TV show A Game of Thrones is nothing new, and a rap news program might have been otherwise unremarkable if it wasn't for a jaw-dropping appearance by Julian Assange around the four-minute mark.
The Sex Party have released their new political ad, aptly titled 'Laying Down For What Matters'.
Once you get past the zebra print bed spread and introductory make-out session, you'll find out what the party stands for: Marriage equality, drug law reform and the taxing of religious institutions.
And, if you need a recap on why minor parties exist and where they all lie on the political spectrum, here's a friendly plumber doling out sage advice and helpful tips on how to use your vote.
