Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says Labor remains the "underdog" as the first week of the federal election campaign draws to a close.
Mr Rudd spent the fifth day of the campaign in suburban Melbourne, where he visited a primary school in the seat of Dunkley, a Liberal electorate held by frontbencher Bruce Billson with a 1.1 per cent margin.
"We entered this race as the underdogs. We are still underdogs," Mr Rudd told reporters.
"We're up against a whole bunch of opposition."
Labor faced a fight not only against a well-funded coalition, but News Corp Australia newspapers - which have produced a series of editions damning the government - under the control of Rupert Murdoch, Mr Rudd said.
"But we intend to fight this one through to the very conclusion," said a determined prime minister.
Mr Rudd held up a jar of Vegemite to illustrate what he said was the coalition's plan to raise the GST to 12.5 per cent and broaden its base to food - a claim rejected by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
Having listened to a number of student musical performances including a recorder recital of Advance Australia Fair, the prime minister launched into an attack on Queensland for not signing up to his Better Schools funding offer.
The second stop on Friday's schedule was the Puffing Billy Railway, where minders delayed the timetable of the tourist attraction so the prime minister could take a brief ride.
Numerous Labor supporters turned out at the east Melbourne venue in the seat of La Trobe, a Labor electorate held by a narrow 1.7 per cent.
A fundraiser with cabinet minister Bill Shorten will wrap up Mr Rudd's Friday in Melbourne, before the Labor roadshow jets off to a new destination on Saturday.
Mr Rudd will face off with Mr Abbott on Sunday evening in the first debate of the campaign, at Canberra's National Press Club.
