FED:Furious race to the finish line

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2010
FED:Furious race to the finish line

CANBERRA, Aug 20 AAP - Opinion polls showing the federal election too close to call
are behind a furious race to the finish by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition
Leader Tony Abbott.

Mr Abbott has been on the go for more than 24 hours blitzing suburban Sydney on Thursday
night and the early hours of Friday morning.

Ms Gillard has been on the NSW central coast as Labor uses the last day of the campaign
to defend what now appears to be an increasingly tenuous hold on government.

The latest Newspoll, published in The Australian, shows Labor has lost the campaign
lead following a sharp drop in its primary vote.

The poll, two-thirds completed, has both parties tied at 50-50 raising the possibility
of neither side getting the 76 seats required for government in their own right.

"We have had a bit of momentum over the last few days," Mr Abbott said of the poll
showing the coalition's primary vote improving three points to 44 per cent while support
for Labor dropped three points to 35 per cent.

Ms Gillard, like everyone else in the Labor camp, knows a primary vote below 38 per
cent spells likely defeat for the government.

"I can only win if people go out tomorrow and vote for me," she told ABC Radio.

"I will be devastated if we wake up on Sunday and Mr Abbott is prime minister."

A Galaxy poll, published in the Herald-Sun newspaper, has provided Labor with news
only a little better than Newspoll.

The poll shows Labor falling over the line with Greens preferences pushing up its primary
vote from 38 per cent to 52 per cent.

ALP strategists are concerned voters disenchanted with Labor state governments in NSW
and Queensland will use the election on Saturday to lodge a protest vote.

There are signs of panic in the Labor camp with leaked so-called "internal polling"

showing the government losing 13 seats on the back of a three per cent swing to the coalition.

The leak was seen as a last-ditch move to keep wavering Labor voters onside.

The government plans to use the last day of campaigning to ramp its fear campaign against
Mr Abbott.

"He is a huge economic risk," Financial Services Minister Chris Bowen told ABC Radio
as the government again accused the coalition of creating a huge black hole in the budget
with its election promises.

But the man himself is running on high octane, stopping only for a catnap since 4.30am
on Thursday.

Mr Abbott has been up for more than 24 hours squeezing the most out of the last days
of the campaign.

He spent the early morning hours of Friday doing numerous radio interviews before heading
to the Sydney Flower Market in Flemington while it was still dark.

He received a largely rousing reception from growers and buyers, shaking hands, taking
photos and receiving a complimentary bunch of flowers as well as a tray of strawberries.

Later, Mr Abbott bought three bunches of roses for wife Margie who gave a rare media
interview, alongside daughter Louise, to the Nine Network.

AAP rl/apm

KEYWORD: POLL10 UPDATE

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