Election 2007 round up

Climate change agreements top the bill again, with Labor back-peddling on yesterday’s announcement it would commit to a new plan excluding developing countries.

ALP leader Kevin Rudd and environment spokesman Peter Garrett now say Labor’s policy is in line with the Federal Government’s: to seek both developed and developing country agreement with binding emissions targets at the upcoming Bali conference.

The lack of trades people again dominated the agenda, with the Coalition pledging $2.1 billion toward dedicated technical colleges. More on that here. However the industry is still not happy, saying that neither political party has come up with the necessary solutions.

And the fight over 24 F-18 Super Hornets broke out into the political ring. Labor’s defence spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said the Coalition’s contract to buy 24 Hornets to replace Australia’s F-111s was based on flawed test results, but the Defence Department rejected claims it would be left vulnerable.

Treasurer Peter Costello and Labor spokesman on Treasury, Wayne Swan, will go head-to-head this afternoon at the Treasurers’ Debate at the National Press Club in Canberra. Costello will be buoyed by today’s Newspoll which shows he rated marginally better as a good economic manager, with 51% of Australians polled preferring him to Swan.

On the figures, while Rudd is still preferred as prime minister, with 48% to Howard’s 41%, his support has slipped two points since last week’s poll. Support for the Coalition has soared to its highest since ALP reins changed hands, receiving 42% of the primary vote, its best overall position since last December.