Australia Elections 2013: Judgment Day for Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott as Australia Votes
Source: Youtube/GetupAustralia
It's judgment day for Australians who will be casting their votes on Saturday's federal elections in a contest between Australian Labor Party's Kevin Rudd, who is hoping for another fresh start, and the Coalition's Tony Abbott who has long sought the position of prime minister.
Current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has seen a formidable opponent in Opposition Leader Tony Abbott who has sent two prime ministers away in his four years as the Coalition's leader. Mr Rudd who returned as prime minister in June after Labor ousted Australia's first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, after a caucus vote.
Recent polls have indicated that Kevin Rudd was having a hard time convincing voters to choose him instead of his opponent to lead Australia. On Sept. 5, Mr Rudd suffered major blows after the nation's leading newspapers endorsed Tony Abbott as the rightful prime minister of Australia. Only The Age, Fairfax Media's daily in Melbourne, stood by the embattled Mr Rudd.
A day before Australia's 2013 elections opened, Mr Rudd admitted he was several percentage points shy of where he wanted his position to be. Mr Rudd said he planned on finally convincing the 300,000 to 400,000 Australians who were identified as undecided voters to pick him.
Widespread predictions of his defeat in Australia's Elections 2013 suggested that Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party will lose control. When this happens, it would be the end of the Australian Labor Party's tumultuous years in power.
Labor has been trailing the opposition in national surveys. One poll showed Labor gaining just 46 per cent compared to the Coalition's 54 per cent. If the election predictions would be proven to be true, it would mean Tony Abbott would deliver a resounding majority in Parliament.
Opinion polls revealed that majority of Australians were in favour of abortion rights and legalisation of same-sex marriage. They also support the idea that human activities significantly contribute to climate change.
Tony Abbott has struggled with voters because of his conservative views on these issues, but he has nevertheless capitalised on Labor losing its direction as a political party.
The Australian Elections 2013 on Sept. 7 will close the longest election campaign in the history of Australia.
