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This is it. One day remaining. The candidates have made their pitches. They’ve told us what they stand for. We’re on the precipice, it’s time to dive into the pool of democracy. Let’s just hope the water is deep enough.
In their final mad dash for the finish line, Julia Gillard visited a dam in Queanbeyan, made a parental leave announcement in Canberra and quaffed a beer during happy hour on the NSW central coast. Meanwhile, Tony Abbott was busy bragging to journalists that he would pull an all-nighter, as he visited a fruit market in Brisbane, drank a shandy in Sydney and gave radio interviews in the early hours of the morning.
So after 34 days of high vis vests and mining truck backdrops, Julia Gillard’s Happy Hour Huddle has an almost insurmountable lead with 48,649km, while Tony Abbott’s Graveyard Shift Squad has made a valiant last ditch effort to finish on 43,560km. Together, that’s a staggering 92,209km — the equivalent of more than 16 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Gillard:
- Julia Gillard began the penultimate day of campaign in Queanbeyan in the bellwether (aren’t you glad you won’t have to hear that word again for three years) seat of Eden-Monaro (2.3% ALP), where she visited a work site at the Googong Dam. Gillard spoke with workers about the effects of WorkChoices and that removing the legislation was one of the proudest moments of her life.
- Gillard then made the short trip to the National Press Club in Canberra, where she delivered her final campaign speech. As well as predicting a close result, Gillard announced a two-week paid paternity leave plan for new dads. The scheme would start from July 2012 with eligible new fathers paid the minimum wage of $570 a week.
- Gillard then made an appearance at the Lakeside Village Tavern in Raymond Terrace in the seat of Paterson (0.6% LIB). Gillard talked with locals as she drank beer and played Keno.
Abbott:
- Tony Abbott began his day at the Brisbane Produce Markets, where he was greeted excitedly by early morning fruiterers. One worker embraced Abbott, while another praised the opposition leader’s manliness. “We need tough men who are going to make this country good,” Darius Kabengele, a worker at the markets, said.
- Abbott then took a turn on the media bus, where he spoke candidly with journalists about the stresses of life on the campaign trail, surviving on coffee and sometimes only three hours’ sleep. Abbott also told journalists that he would not sleep for 36 hours of continuous campaigning: “I love them [voters] and I want to meet as many of them as I can over the next 36 hours.”
- Abbott then took the campaign blitz to Sydney, where he shared a beer with locals, played some late-night tennis and visited a police station. The opposition leader worked all night as he visited a slew of marginal seats, as well as taking part in a number of graveyard shift phone interviews.
Pub Watch:
- Both leaders washed away their sorrows with a pre-election tipple last night. By all reports, Julia Gillard sampled a Tooheys Old, while Tony Abbott tried a lemonade shandy:
Humpty Watch:
- And here’s Scott Morrison doing some last-minute campaigning at the ABC:
Quotable:
- “I am in no way getting ahead of myself and I am very happy with the work of the incumbent.” — Tony Abbott on whether he will appoint John Howard as Governor-General.
Where they are today:
- Tony Abbott, in Sydney, hasn’t stopped. Here’s his morning: a midnight visit to Campbelltown Police Station, various graveyard shift radio interviews, a short layover before a 4am trip to the Flemington Flower Markets and onto the Sydney Fish Markets at 5:30am. More radio and TV interviews followed (both leaders have now appeared on ABC Radio’s AM). His schedule beyond that remains a mystery.
- Julia Gillard was at Umina Beach north of Sydney for an early morning interview on Today, with more last-minute campaigning on the central coast this morning. She’s expected to return to Sydney later today to blitz more marginal seats in the western suburbs.
- Bob Brown is in Melbourne, joining the Greens candidate now favoured to win a seat in the House of Representatives, Adam Brandt.
What is the tracker?
Crikey tracks each leader’s amazing race across the country via our Election Tracker. Each day we’ll plot the leaders’ movements, feeding in the key policy announcements and spending commitments, the best media coverage and social media chat, plus the campaign stunts and bloopers. You can also use the tracker as a hub for the best Crikey coverage.
Click on the tabs across the top to watch how many kilometres Gillard and Abbott have clocked up, the movements of other key players and finally our bloopers and stunts bonanza on the right. You can click on each stop to see what they’re up to, with links to extended coverage and detailed electorate information.
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16 Comments
How appropriate to have that obscene Scott Morisson photographed at the ABC. Throughout the 5 weeks the ABC have unashamadly promoted the Coalition as their party of choice on all of their outlets. As a supposed unbiased, balanced tax payer funded organisation, they have been abysmal.
Have to agree with DAVID.
No surprise that the atrocious News Ltd is today backing the Coalition in several editorials and exposing one of the world’s worst kept secrets-their desire to return government to the rightful rulers of this country.
From their campaign to destroy Kevin Rudd (strip bar in New York where a News Corp editor was conveniently the host ?) to their powerful backing of Turnbull’s rotten ‘utegate’ affair, they did their best and they succeeded but it’s how the rest of the media followed like sheep that shame them and us-including the Fairfax Media and the ABC.
Anyone out there able to explain the complexities of that Mining Tax ?. No How the hell could you because not one…not one single one of the timeservers (and no wonder they are called Reptiles in the UK ), including so-called financial writers did an in depth study of what it meant-good or bad.
But by golly we got a blow by blow of the Miner’s paid advertising campaign against the tax as thought that in itself was news (and from news organisations that have a vested financial interest in that paid campaign).
In my 65 years I have never witnessed a media so in the gutter with it’s froth and bubble reporting- from it’s constant egging on of the candidates to somehow magically change their personalities into what the journos wanted.
Policy ?. The very last thing we were to be given. And small tables of what parties will offer (without the hint of an examination into what those ‘lists’ of policies mean in the long term) does not count when you have blaring headlines-gutlessly followed by the ABC (finally neutered for all time by a succession of governments both Liberal and Labor but with the final nails driven in by Howard ). Who ‘won’ the debate with screaming headlines is all we had on the say so of handfuls of people.
But I do know this-apparently Laurie Oakes get’s inside tips. That is news these days.
I’m surprised no one has noticed that Abbott has blown it. No decent Australian bloke could vote for a party that has a leader who would drink a light beer shandy.
And they wonder why papers are dying ??? Agree with David and Oscar and pogo.
Can’t wait to see PM Abbott dealing with a Senate where the Greens have the balance of power. What goes around comes around…
@ Tomboy
I think they will be pumping the legislation through before June 30, when the Greens take control.
@David
I have never seen the ABC pro any party except Labor and Greens. ABC News 24 has plenty of union hacks on there, they just had Paul Howes again who was the guy that announced Rudd was gone before Gillard told him.
@ ASTRO - pumping legislation just like Krudd?
Just hope for the country’s sake that if the Libs do win, we don’t start to see things like during the Fraser years - lots of demonstrations, strikes, recession. Sincerely hope cool heads prevail all-round.
@ ASTRO….[I have never seen the ABC pro any party except Labor and Greens.]
With respect you need an urgent appointment with a specialist to have your eyes and ears checked thoroughly. As you would be well aware these blogs have been highly critical of the ABC continuously from day 1. My contribution today is but one of hundreds. Even reading through the various articles from regular Crikey scribes would indicate it is not a sudden phenomonum, but regularly commented on.
I agree David
@Astro - Virginia from ABC24 News Breakfast is almost a card carrying liberal - she is distinctly hostile to the labor and greens and her beady little eyes sparkle when she gets to interview a coalition MP.
@Engineering
Are you sure. I know someone that wrote to ABC last week to complain she was pro labor and greens
Astro stop telling porkies you are sounding quite the village idiot. You know “someone” sure, another of the invisable inhabitants of your vacant imagination.
@David
It is absolutely true, but dont really care what the ALP Spin Room believe anyway
Who and what is this ALP spin room? who is the David you speak so knowingly of ?and damn it look at your nose there it goessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Once upon a time in a banana republic not so far away there was a an abbott who really really wanted to become the Leader. Spurred on by powers that really really be, they advised him to first seek the power of the press. How do I obtain the power of the press he asked of some of the group from the faraway mystical region of “waminingbosses” present yourself to Rupe the Great the overlord of the new world order and press your nose to his posterior and you will really really have the power of the press, will he reqiure a signature he enquired,no they chimed in just press your nose to the paper the stain will suffice.