Frantic last election blitz for leaders
Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott are blitzing the airwaves and key marginal seats on the final day of a gruelling five-week election campaign, as Labor continues to dig holes in the Coalition’s costings.
A Galaxy Poll on the eve of the federal election predicts Labor faces a repeat of the 1996 election landslide that swept Paul Keating from power.
Scroll down to read the election eve pitches from both leaders.
But the Prime Minister – who is on the NSW Central Coast before heading to Brisbane – continues to put on a brave face, with even his own Queensland seat of Griffith uncertain.
“Let’s just wait and see,” he told the Seven Network’s Sunrise program on Friday.
“If you have any concerns or anxiety or uncertainty about whether Mr Abbott’s massive cuts will hit your job or your school or your hospital, don’t vote for him.”
The Opposition Leader was taking nothing for granted, likening it to the drawn 1977 AFL grand final between North Melbourne and Collingwood.
“At three-quarter time Collingwood was well up but it was a draw,” Abbott told Collingwood president Eddie McGuire on Triple M radio in Melbourne.
“This isn’t over. A lot of people are calling it already.”
Abbott, who is expected to head for marginal seats of Western Sydney, urged people to vote for their Liberal candidate “if you don’t want another three years like the last six”.
The poll in News Corp Australia newspapers shows Labor’s primary vote is 35 per cent, compared to the coalition’s 45 per cent.
On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor sits on 47 per cent, and the coalition on 53 per cent.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Chris Bowen continued his attack on the coalition’s costings of their election promises, that were finally released on Thursday.
Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey and opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb revealed a $6 billion bottom line improvement in the budget over the next four years should they win power on Saturday and implement their policies.
These include scrapping the carbon and mining taxes, reducing growth in foreign aid, implementing a more generous paid parental leave scheme and massive road-building funding.
But Bowen said the few documents released had “holes all over the place”.
“This is a squib of a document, this is dodgy maths,” he told ABC radio on Friday.
For example, the Coalition announced funding for a road in Perth this week but it’s not included in the figures, he said.
However, former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello believes Australians have already made up their minds who they will vote for.
“People are going to decide, really, on whether they think this government’s been a good government or a bad government,” he told the Nine Network.
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“Most people have made up their minds and I don’t think they’ll be worrying too much about costings in the last 24 hours.”
Both leaders have made election eve pitches to voters. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s is below – scroll down for the message from Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
An election eve message from the leader of the ALP, Kevin Rudd:
This Saturday’s election presents Australians with a clear choice which will shape not only the next three years but the long-term future of our country.
Our economy is at a critical juncture.
The China mining investment boom is winding down.
We need to diversify our economy so we don’t have all our eggs in one basket.
We need to demonstrate the same commitment to jobs which Australian businesses, workers and the Labor Government displayed during the global financial crisis.
Labor understands this central issue – that is why we have put forward a positive plan to build the future.
A plan to support jobs by keeping the economy strong.
A plan to build better schools so our kids realise their potential.
A plan for world-class healthcare; for super-fast broadband to transform our economy; and for a fair society which provides decent care for the elderly and those with disabilities.
By contrast, Tony Abbott offers three-word political slogans as a substitute for a long-term vision.
And all of his policies boil down to just one thing: cuts.
The Coalition is planning cuts to government services. Cuts to education and health. Cuts to family payments and cuts to jobs.
Mr Abbott has spent the entire election campaign avoiding scrutiny.
He waited until the last minute to release his costings – and then he failed to live up to standards of disclosure required under the Charter of Budget Honesty.
You have to ask why?
Mr Abbott’s economic austerity policies are the last thing Australia needs as we face the end of the mining investment boom.
We need to invest in new industries and new jobs – not to cut.
Labor has a $1 billion plan to create jobs beyond the boom.
We will ensure more Australian businesses get work on big investment projects – creating more local jobs.
Multinational companies developing these large projects often default to using overseas suppliers and contractors.
Labor will require all projects worth more than $300 million to identify Australian suppliers and give them the early information and opportunities they need to bid for contracts.
This will deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in extra work for Australian firms in manufacturing, construction, engineering, technical and professional services.
We will also ensure more young people get jobs as apprentices on federally-funded construction projects.
And we will tackle unemployment through a new Jobs, Training and Apprenticeships Guarantee which will give jobseekers and employers alike the skills they need.
Labor’s $15 billion Better Schools Plan will ensure our kids get more one-on-one attention in the classroom.
Mr Abbott will cut school funding – and he will cut the Schoolkids Bonus, making it harder for hundreds of thousands of families to make ends meet.
Labor is building the National Broadband Network to provide affordable, super-fast broadband for families and businesses.
Mr Abbott will scrap the NBN and leave Australians to rely on outmoded copper wire. Labor will continue investing in our health and hospital system.
Mr Abbott’s track record when he was Health Minister was to slash $1 billion from hospitals – now he plans to cut Medicare Locals.
Labor is building co-operative workplaces and supporting women in the workforce with the nation’s first Paid Parental Leave scheme.
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Our Fair Work Act has restored balance in the workplace.
By contrast, when Mr Abbott was in power the Coalition introduced the WorkChoices legislation which cut wages and conditions.
Labor is standing on our record and on our plans for the future.
Our record is one of strong achievement.
While many of the world’s advanced economies plunged into recession, we kept Australia’s economy growing.
While millions of people around the world lost their jobs, Labor created nearly one million new jobs in Australia.
But we cannot take the future for granted.
We can build a prosperous future by working together and implementing Labor’s positive plans, not by cutting to the bone.
This is why I ask Australians for their support on Saturday – let’s work together to build our future.
An election eve message from the leader of the Liberals, Tony Abbott:
This election is the most important choice in a generation.
It is a clear choice between the Coalition team with a positive plan for a better future or another three years of chaos, dishonesty and division from Labor.
We are a great country and a great people but we can’t afford another three years like the last six – with more waste, more debt and more boats. We need a stronger government and a stable Parliament, not another divided minority government.
The Liberal and National parties stand ready to deliver more jobs, higher wages and better services for all Australians – and we will do that by building a stronger, more productive and diverse five Pillar economy, through lower taxes, more efficient government and more productive businesses.
A stronger economy is not an end in itself – but is necessary to help pay for the better services, lower taxes, stronger borders, cleaner environment and modern infrastructure that we all want.
If you choose the Coalition, you’ll get a new government – and a government that will:
– build a stronger, more diversified economy so everyone can get ahead;
– scrap the carbon tax so that next year alone your family will be $550 a year better off;
– get the Budget back under control by ending Labor’s waste;
– stop the boats;
– And we’ll build the roads of the 21st century to ease congestion and ensure less time is spent in traffic.
That’s our contract with you.
I am confident in our plans because I am confident in my team.
A vote for the Coalition is a vote for a party that has had for the last three years the same strong, united team and the same clear plans.
By contrast, a vote for Mr Rudd or the minor parties means even more waste, higher deficits, even more debt and more boats.
As you reflect on your choice on Saturday it is important to remember Labor’s record: the leadership dysfunction, the carbon tax broken promise, the broken promise on the surplus and the failure to stop the boats.
Mr Rudd and Labor want you to forget about the last six years; that’s why his campaign is not about what he has done but what he says that we might do.
If you vote for the Coalition’s positive plan, real change starts on Sunday morning.
If you vote for change, on day one of an incoming Coalition government I will instruct the public service to prepare the carbon tax repeal legislation.
If you vote for change, Operation Sovereign Borders will start immediately.
If you vote for change, Labor’s $1.8 billion tax on company cars won’t proceed and confidence can return to our local car industry from Sunday morning.
If you vote for change, within 100 days, legislation to abolish the carbon tax and to abolish the mining tax will be in the Parliament.
With your vote, by the end of a Coalition government’s first term, the Budget will be on-track to a believable surplus.
Your vote gets a competent, trustworthy government. That’s what my strong, united team want to deliver to the Australian people in the future.
And there’s another commitment that we give you – there will be no minority government under the Coalition. There will not be deals done with independents and the Greens under the Liberal and National Parties.
At this election I need you to vote for change – so that we can achieve all the good things that we set out in our contract with you.
I respectfully ask you to join us – and help us build a stronger Australia and a better future – for all Australians.
