Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has declared himself the underdog as the latest opinion polls point to a Labor victory in next Saturday's federal election.

Labor has stormed ahead in today's Nielsen poll, reclaiming its election-winning lead.

The poll, published in Fairfax newspapers, has Labor leading the Coalition 53 per cent to 47 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

A separate Newspoll in The Australian newspaper shows the Coalition is on track to win a string of seats in Queensland and NSW, but not enough to win government.

The Newspoll figures suggest Labor could lose up to 12 marginal seats in the northern states, but is positioned to hold power by winning Coalition seats in Victoria.

The surge in voter support for Labor follows a fortnight where the Opposition had the upper hand in the opinion polls.

Mr Abbott says the polls show he is the underdog, and Labor will be hard to beat.

But he says the Coalition can defy the polls and beat an "incompetent" and "wasteful" government.

"I've said all along that I would be the underdog," Mr Abbott said.

"I am running against the full might of an incumbent government. I'm running against five incumbent state Labor governments.

"I'm running against the union movement which is a $1 billion-a-year logistics support operation for the Labor Party.

"I am running against big money, big factions. I am running against big politics ... but I think we can do it."

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Coalition campaign spokesman Andrew Robb has rebuffed critics of the Opposition's election advertising strategy who say it has not been nasty enough.

The criticism, directed at Liberal Party federal director Brian Loughnane, comes as Labor storms ahead in the latest national opinion poll, reclaiming its election-winning lead a week from polling day.

Published in today's Fairfax newspapers, the poll shows Labor has gained four points to 53 per cent while the Coalition has slipped four points to 47 per cent in the two-party vote.

The surge in voter support for Labor follows a fortnight in which the Opposition had the upper hand in the polls.

The Weekend Australian reports Mr Loughnane has been slammed by some in his own party for not "exploiting Labor's disunity", with advertising guru John Singleton describing it as "the worst campaign the Liberal Party has ever run".

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Gus: yes this Liberal advertising campaign gets up my nose by being 100 per cent UNTRUE and totally ANNOYING!... They claim theat Labor is "incompetent" "wastes money" "tax more", and a plethora of sins, including the "debacle of the insulation program where 250,000 homes are at risk..." I'd sue the Libshits for misrepresentation of this later "risk" if I did not do cartoons that showed them for what the Libshits could be...

Well, 100 per cent of the people I know who have benefited from an insulation subsidies are happy as Larry with the result. 100 per cent of people who have benefited from a solar installation using subsidies are over the moon with it. So far, out of 250,000 homes about 50 to 100 homes have had problems — some serious. There are court cases going on as to whom is responsible for the shoddy jobs — but in any case it's NOT the government. It appears, some shonks — probably Liberal "free enterprise" sharks — took the money and used unskilled subcontractors to do the bad deeds without proper care.

In regard to the school programme, a lot of good came out of it. Not perfect, as some schools are ruled by fierce Liberal P&C, who see their role to organise school fetes to pay for their little private kingdom while being on the teat of the public purse. I know a school where the parents got their noses out of joint because they were out of the loop. All in all, most schools got great value for money.

Shonky-tonk Tony would bring back workchoices under a different brand, like "rewards" to the best teacher that would eventually amount to penalties for those who are good but "not the best".

For Tony to say without cracking up:

"I'm running against the union movement which is a $1 billion-a-year logistics support operation for the Labor Party.

"I am running against big money, big factions. I am running against big politics..

is crap: "Big Money? Big Politics?" LIES!!! Kick Tony in the budgies!

The Australian Greens say political players could be tempted to engage in unethical election advertising in the lead up to the poll.

Party leader Bob Brown says misleading voters on the way to the ballot box should be made an offence under changes he's proposing to the Electoral Act.

"There's no doubt in the last week of an election campaign the temptation becomes bigger ... to engage in increasingly untrue advertising," Senator Brown told reporters in Canberra.

One example was South Australian Family First candidate Bob Day who is accused of portraying himself as an independent, Senator Brown said.

"Whether that is truthful or not we should have somebody independently looking at that," he said, proposing a new unit at the Australian Electoral Commission.

Senator Brown says the idea is backed by polling undertaken by the party.

The Galaxy poll of more than 1000 people shows more than 90 per cent of respondents would be in favour of new laws to prevent misleading advertising.

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Most of the Libshits' advertising is untrue propaganda and lies about Labor.

May the best woman win!!!. Kick Abbott in the budgies!!!

During the waning years of the Howard "New Order" of "Aspirational Nationalism" (remember? Which I consider was just another name for the Nazism) the crass and dishonest methods of the Liberal Nationalists were repeated over and over.  IF the neo-cons were "outed" on one of their many screwed or non-core promises they always claimed that that was what their Labor opposition was doing!

In short, they always accuse their opponents of doing what they are doing themselves. And with the help of the Corporation's media, Labor would find itself defending their own voracity even though there was no evidence of wrong-doing.  Struth.

The never-ending duplicity of these political opportunists is only effective because of their IOU’s to the media barons who control them.

Does anyone note the “backflip” of Murdoch when he was reported as saying that Kevin Rudd was the Australian of the year and almost immediately assassinated that popular image with making Rudd’s honesty a matter of Liberal comedy? If this item is correct - does anyone see any connection between Murdoch’s choice of words about “the Australian” of the year? Does that mean he is using our national name to plug his own take on those words or – is he abusing the privilege?

Jolly Joe Hockey is still unable to "get a handle on the economy" but sits and spruiks figures that he picks out of the air and this upsets Wayne Swan when giving the journalists the facts (that is if they want them).

I have yet to hear any fair dinkum news commentators condemning Abbott's multitude of "backflips" and his claim that he would conciliate and consult and then he attacks the P.M. for doing the same thing with Abbott’s foreign mining companies.

Abbott's duplicity is ingrained in him from his two masters, Howard and Cardinal Pell.  Howard for innate dishonesty and Pell for his absolution of sins and interference in the machinations of the Australian electoral processes and government.

Abbott is still the unlicensed and inexperienced leader of a rabble opposition by one vote - accidentally obtained - and it shows!  His almost strait jacketed appearance with only “scripted” statements says so and then, he thankfully hands over to his shadow minister in that portfolio.

I watched an independent expert on Polls today and he said that he believed that State elections don’t bother so much about WHO is going to be the Premier – however, it is an important factor of who will be Prime Minister of Australia when voting for the local candidates.

Well might you say….Murdoch may elect the government with his bigoted lies and misinformation but, how can he now destroy this young Prime Minister who has not had one day off since she assumed the mantle of P.M.

Every vote for a Liberal or National candidate is a vote for Abbott.

Every vote for Labor candidates or, if necessary Greens, is a vote for Australia’s future and the clearly honored election in her own right, of the honourable Julia Gillard P.M.

We would then have a P.M. that is NOT committed to one or more religions, or one or more Corporations and who will govern for all people of all walks of life who are citizens of our lucky country. NE OUBLIE.

from Paul Sheehan

Our Prime Minister is a liar. A serial liar. Brazen. We shall detail some of the more preposterous lies presently but I don't think this will deter the electorate from returning Julia Gillard's government to office next Saturday, for all the wrong reasons. Labor will harvest the votes of the Australian pie-eaters, whose numbers are great and growing.

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Paul is a lib-spruiker... If Julia tells porkie pies, then Tony is telling monstruous s#$%@! The choice is clear: kick Tony in the budgies...

biffo the underdog ....

Among the lies and non-core "immeasurable" acts of bastardry under the Howard "New Order" was his interference in any election that would put his monkey face on the TV or in the Murdoch press.   My belief is that like with some State elections, the presence and nonsensical blathering of Howard did the conservatives more harm than good.

IMHO I cannot think of just one thing that the Howard US puppet government ever did for the benefit of the working people of Australia.

Quite the contrary - when his education funding blatantly favored the Catholic and Private schools it reminded many of our older generation of the methods of the Elite in Europe.  Keep the poor uneducated and there should not be any challenge to the “Silver Spoons” while they battle to live.

The Howard “New Order” also applied that absolute principle to health and wanted to sell Medicare Private (and a PM Abbott will) so that the Corporation’s could decide what will be charged and benefited and that would remove the pesky workers for sure.  Howard introduced the 30% “health assistance” which was the exact amount the Corporation’s immediately raised their costs by.

When the Howard government cut back on TAFE and apprentice training, it resulted in an enormous lack of tradespersons (Australians that is) and he brought in methods like the 457 which originally was supposed to overcome the lack of skills, caused by his planned stupidity, but then he broadened it to include unskilled and much cheaper workers. The number made the “Boat People” look like tourists and, because they were not Australian citizens they had no protection.  The sibling of a failed WorkChoices?

I don’t know if Hockey and Abbott in their terms as responsible “ministers” used them to falsify their appalling unemployment figures.  But that is not counted with them eh Murdoch? The Howard “New Order” along with their supine Nationals partner, unanimously voted down an Accountability Bill in the Senate while Labor unanimously voted for it.  We have already witnessed the misuse of Parliamentary privilege by the “born to rule who are not to be accountable”.

While Howard and his wealthy mates want to build Nuclear Reactors alongside our huge ocean borders, he would then have it mixed in Australia with “friendly nuclear waste” and buried in central Australia.  However, he has never explained why an obedient puppet like himself cannot convince the US to allow us to have our own nuclear weapons for a Zionist like defense?  With so many US spy agencies in Australia we are already a target – reactors would make that more so but, if we do, and I hope not, we had better use them for what they were designed – weapons of war and hundreds of years of quiet killing.  The Big 8’s method of culling?

A vote for any Liberal or National candidate is a vote for Abbott to be Australian Prime Minister and the “death’s stare champion” Julie Bishop as deputy Prime Minister of Australia!!!  Just take time to picture that? Fair dinkum.

I hope the oldies note the re- immergence of the Catholic Democratic Labor Party of Australia and the new and inexplicable Liberal’s Democratic Party?  Both in the Senate of course, the Howard mob showed how easy it is to make a government a “lame duck”, just by saying no to everything they do.  This forces them into a double dissolution election when the Government’s fortunes were arranged to be at an all time low.  The plans of mice and men are apt to go awry?

Even though this is a small amount of Liberal and National bastardry, it is sure enough for being a hundred to one candidate John. 

Cheers Ern G.

This website summarizes some of the common features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths.

• Glibness and Superficial Charm
  
• Manipulative and Conning
  They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
  
• Grandiose Sense of Self
  Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
  
• Pathological Lying
  Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
  
• Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
  A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
  
• Shallow Emotions
  When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
  
• Incapacity for Love
  
• Need for Stimulation
  Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
  
• Callousness/Lack of Empathy
  Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
  
• Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
  Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
  
• Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
  Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
  
• Irresponsibility/Unreliability
  Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
  
• Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
  Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
  
• Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
  Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
  
• Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
  Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

Other Related Qualities:

1. Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
2. Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
3. Authoritarian
4. Secretive
5. Paranoid
6. Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
7. Conventional appearance
8. Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
9. Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
10. Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
11. Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
12. Incapable of real human attachment to another
13. Unable to feel remorse or guilt
14. Extreme narcissism and grandiose
15. May state readily that their goal is to rule the world