Australian Liberals put tax at heart of election

The video above is the Australian Liberals' latest election ad. It plays on a fear that the ruling Labour party will introduce other 'green taxes' if they are re-elected, despite recent pledges to water down the former PM's mining tax. Fears of Labor tax rises have been fuelled by an agreement with the country's Green party to co-operate on voting preferences. Many Australians see the Greens as a far Left party dressed up as an environmental party.

Stopping taxes and stopping the boats (of immigrants) have been central messages of the Australian Liberal leader's campaign so far.

Other Liberals are attacking the way Labor has dumped principles as well as its leader to stay in power. Alexander Downer, former Foreign minister:

"Rudd and Gillard won a lot of votes in 2007 by telling the public climate change was the great moral challenge of our time. To address it was urgent, humane and principled even if it cost everyone money. Eighteen months later Rudd and Gillard abandoned the centrepiece of their fight against climate change, the emissions trading scheme. You cannot tell the public something is essential and moral and then abandon it while retaining credibility. It’s as though Churchill had accepted Halifax’s foolish advice and sued for peace with Hitler, or Keating had decided the monarchy was a good thing after all."

The latest polls show a tighter contest than last week but about 75% of the bookmakers' money is going on a Labor victory. 

Held four weeks before polling day to avoid it distorting the final days of campaigning, the video below is an amusing summary of the first and only election debate held between the two main party leaders. Julia Gillard has refused to agree to Tony Abbott's request for two more debates. That's what sensible politicians tend to do when they are ahead in the polls!