With less than a week left before Australians head to the polls, Labor is facing an uphill battle to win voters and offset growing support for Tony Abbott and the Coalition.
The latest opinion polls show Labor's primary vote has hit its lowest point under Kevin Rudd's leadership.
Tony Abbott has also overtaken Kevin Rudd as preferred prime minister, but both leaders have claimed they're not convinced by the polls and are still expecting a close race.
Labor figures spent the last weekend before election day officially launching their campaign, with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announcing reforms to TAFE funding and a boost for small business owners in an attempt to bolster last-minute support. Chief political correspondent Karen Middleton was there for SBS.
Polling organisation Roy Morgan has found an increase in support for Clive Palmer's Palmer United Party (PUP) in Queensland off the back of some eyebrow-raising media interviews last week. With PUP preferences going to the LNP, this would provide a futher boost to the Coalition.
The PM’s wife Therese Rein aired some of the family dirty laundry this morning on Channel 7, saying she occasionally has to have words with her high-flying husband over a bad habit: “Would you like to put your socks in the washing basket?” she joked when asked if the pair ever fought.
Ms Rein also hit back at the front page of yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph paper in Sydney, which trumpeted the headline: Australia Needs Tony.
“I was really interested in the front page of the Sunday Tele yesterday and it said we need something or other.”
“What’s really fascinating about democracy is that we have a lot of voices… you have a lot of noise happening, but ultimately who votes? It’s the citizens who vote.”
Today the Opposition Leader visited Holsworthy Army Barracks in Sydney where he pledged not to make any more cuts to defence spending. Kevin Rudd is back in his home state of Queensland, specifically Townsville where he was supporting Labor candidate Cathy O'Toole. As was this pooch:
In other news, Tony Abbott has admitted buying fishing boats from Indonesia may not happen after all, and SBS correspondent Stefan Armbruster spent a day with Katter's Australian Party leader Bob Katter, who is considered a shoe-in for re-election in his Queensland seat of Kennedy.
A pared-back campaign launch for the Labor Party. (Image: Karen Middleton)
