Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the election is about trust and who is more "fair dinkum". Picture: Kym Smith Source: News Limited
TONY Abbott's Coalition have begun the election campaign slightly ahead of Labor and with the Opposition Leader also the preferred prime minister, according to a poll.
A Seven News/Reachtel poll tonight put the Coalition's two-party preferred vote on 52 per cent compared to 48 per cent for Labor.
In the better PM stakes, Mr Rudd scored 49 per cent and Mr Abbott 51 per cent.
The Coalition were also stronger on the economy 60 per cent to Labor on 40 per cent.
Earlier, Mr Abbott attempted to turn Kevin Rudd's campaign question of who voters trust on its head, asking the nation who they think is more "fair dinkum" and can deliver results instead of being all talk.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it's time for the people to decide his fate. Picture: Gary Ramage
An hour after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd opened hostilities framed by Australian flags in his prime ministerial courtyard, the Opposition Leader held a press conference in the opposition party room in Parliament House before a Liberal Party campaign backdrop declaring "Choose real change - a stronger Australia."
In a bid to paint Mr Rudd as all talk and no action, Mr Abbott said he had a plan to get the budget under control, build infrastructure and would stop the boats.
Our how political reporters have covered the unfolding events in the blog below.
"The choice is the positive policies of the Coalition or more of the same with the Labor Party and Mr Rudd," he said.
"Mr Rudd was talking about who do you trust? It's really about who do you think is more fair dinkum? Who can you rely on to be build a better future?
Mr Abbott said his team had been stable for three years while the government had been gripped by dysfunction.
"Who do you think is more fair dinkum?" he said.
"The people who stopped the boats in the past? Or the people who started them again?"
Mr Abbott said he wanted to build a country where people would not feel like strangers and where the bonds of community would be stronger.
He said the government had spent too much time turning Australians against each other, noting the first law passed by the new Rudd government was the controversial 457 foreign worker legislation.
The Coalition Leader said he would reveal his costings in the course of the campaign but would only say that would happen "at some time point" in good time before the election.
He said the budget position would be stronger than Labor's and all policies would be fully costed.
Mr Abbott also ruled out doing any deals with the independents to form a minority government.
"Australia needs strong and stable government," he said.
Mr Abbott said he was open to negotiation to more than one campaign debate. Mr Rudd this afternoon offered to debate Mr Abbott tomorrow night on Sky and has offered each of the TV networks a Sunday debate.
Australians will go to the polls on September 7, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced in a statement.
Earlier, Mr Rudd announced the election date by asking voters "who do the Australian people trust best to lead them through the difficult new economic challenges which now lie ahead?"
2013 SOCIAL MEDIA WAR
He said the China resources boom was over and days after delivering an economic statement revealing a $30.1 billion deficit this financial year, Mr Rudd said Labor was best placed "Manage the big economic challenges which lie ahead."
"The old politics of the past just won't work for the future. Negative personal politics doesn't build a single school," he said.
"Australia needs a new way of dealing with challenges."
He also sold Labor's record of preventing Australia slipping into recession during the Global Financial Crisis.
Moments after earlier asking Governor-General Quentin Bryce for a September 7 election, Mr Rudd emailed Labor supporters, telling them "It's on" in the subject line.
Mr Rudd then called on supporters to "chip in $5" to help his campaign, which he said would be "one hell of a fight."
He sought to revive the class warfare which senior Labor MPs had rejected, claiming "Abbott and a few millionaires will out spend us" before asking supporters for their pocket change to help Labor's campaign.
Prime Minsiter Kevin Rudd tweeted this image of himself, working on his speech announcing the election to the nation. Picture: Instagram/Twitter/Kevin Rudd Source: News Limited
"Australians now face a choice. And the choice couldn't be starker," he wrote.
"I have a positive vision about the country we can be. In this election I'll be talking with Australians across the county about better schools for our kids, investing so we can create good jobs, and about how the NBN can help keep our economy strong.
"Tony Abbott has a different approach. He'll bang on with the same negativity that we're all sick of. He's only got three word slogans because he doesn't have the ticker to debate his real agenda."
Security guards undertake a check prior to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd arriving at Government House in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: News Limited
Mr Rudd revealed his political advisers had told him he was beginning the campaign as "the under dog."
Labor polling shows the Coalition would have won an election held at the weekend.
Mr Rudd's opening salvo against Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was Labor's claim Coalition costings have a "$70 billion hole."
He linked Queensland Premier Campbell Newman's public service cuts, including 4000 workers, to the federal Liberal party, claiming Mr Abbott would "slash and burn" in an "austerity drive."
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Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and wife Therese Rein leaving their home in Brisbane. Picture: Mark Cranitch. Source: News Limited
Promising help for manufacturing and cost of living pressures, Mr Rudd said he had a "positive plan."
"Australians by their nature are positive practical people who believe in nation building," he said.
He promised also that he had learned from past mistakes by the government.
"You the Australian people have seen me at my highest highs and my lowest lows. You have witnessed some of those moments right here," he said of the Prime Minister's courtyard at Parliament House.
"They have made me a stronger person.
"I would be deeply honoured to serve you, the Australian people."
Foreign Minister Bob Carr will represent Mr Rudd at the G20 summit in Russia on September 5.
Comparing starting his campaign by asking for $5 donations from supporters to that of the US President, Mr Rudd said "President Obama did something like this in the US."
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