AUSTRALIA: Australians will go to the polls on October 9th after Prime Minister Mr John Howard yesterday called a longer than usual six-week election campaign, writes Padraig Collins in Sydney.
"This election, ladies and gentlemen, will be about trust," Mr Howard told a press conference after finalising the date with Australia's Governor-General Mr Michael Jeffery.
"Who do you trust to keep the economy strong and protect family living standards? Who do you trust to keep interest rates low? Who do you trust to lead the fight on Australia's behalf against international terrorism?" the Prime Minister asked.
Opposition Labor party leader Mr Mark Latham launched his party's campaign by agreeing with Mr Howard on the election's focus. "I can agree with the prime minister in saying the election is about trust," he said. "But people don't trust this government anymore, with good reason. It's a government that's been dishonest for too long. It's a government that has acted deceitfully for too long."
Democrats leader Mr Andrew Bartlett also spoke about the issue of trust: ". . . the Democrats believe that you cannot trust Mr Howard or Mr Latham," he said.
Greens leader Mr Bob Brown says his party has not decided where to direct preferences, and that Labor should not assume it will be the beneficiary.
The latest electoral polling shows Labor with 39 per cent of the primary vote, against the Liberal/National Coalition's 38 per cent.
Mr Howard warned of the dangers of electing a Labor government saying that it would give the party "coast-to-coast" control in Australia for the first time ever (Labor holds power in all six Australian state, and both territory, parliaments).
The prime minister did not mention that the reverse has happened before: the Coalition governed coast-to-coast in 1969-70.
Mr Howard says his campaign will address the major challenges facing Australia over the next decade. "The election will be about the future of this nation over the next 10 years," he said.
He refused to guarantee he would serve a full term if re-elected, saying only that he would remain as Prime Minister as long as he retained the support of his Liberal Party colleagues.
Mr Latham subsequently accused Mr Howard of lacking commitment. "What's the point of a 10-year vision for a prime minister who will only stay six months?" he said. Labor are set to make a major issue of their claim that Mr Howard will be succeeded by the Treasurer Mr Peter Costello before long.
As well as all 150 House of Representatives seats being decided in the election, half of the Senate's 76 seats are also being voted on. No Australian government has held a concurrent majority in the Senate since 1981.
Voting in Australia is compulsory. At the last federal election in November, 2001, 95 per cent voted. Those that did not were fined, and one person was jailed for having repeatedly refused to the pay the fine.