Prime Minister Kevin Rudd arrived to vote in Brisbane only to find himself labelled a "dictator" by refugee advocates and the family of a victim of the pink batts insulation debacle.
Mr Rudd got out of his car at St Paul's Anglican Church with wife Therese Rein and, holding up one of his own how-to-vote cards, joked about convincing her to vote for the man in the picture - him.
"Nice to see you folks," Mr Rudd said as he shook hands with Labor supporters.
Mr Rudd, who if polls are right is set to be removed from government on Saturday night, was set to vote early in the morning but changed his mind in order to do last-minute interviews and a phone hook-up with voters.
The move backfired when protesters against the federal government's so-called Papua New Guinea Solution for asylum seekers hurled abuse at Mr Rudd.
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"Stop scapegoating refugees, you heartless bastard," a protester yelled at Mr Rudd as he tried to make his way up the church driveway to the polling booths.
The protesters chanted: "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here."
Russell Blythe held up a giant poster of his nephew Matthew Fuller, who was electrocuted while installing insulation in October 2009.
Mr Blythe told reporters Mr Rudd was a danger to the nation and should be voted out.
"He's a dictator," he said.
He said Mr Rudd had met his sister in person and offered an off-the-record apology.
Mr Blythe staged the same protest at a Brisbane polling booth in 2010 when Mr Rudd had been due to vote.
Staff diverted the prime minister into a different booth to avoid a confrontation.
An Australian Electoral Commission official told media they weren't allowed to film Mr Rudd casting his vote because they weren't accredited but reporters were eventually let into the booth.
Mr Rudd spent $20 on marmalade and a sultana and bran loaf at a church bake sale stall.
Parishioner Nadine Dwyer, who served Mr Rudd, said she was frightened by the chaos caused by the media.
"I'm not a nervous person normally but that was pretty intense."
