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Kevin Rudd announces 2013 election date.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in his first government ad as PM.

 

 

 

 

 

By MAMAMIA TEAM

Okay folks. After much speculation, a few false starts, and innumerable Twitter rumours – the 2013 election date has been announced.

Australia will decide its next Government on September 7.

Kevin Rudd delivered a press conference at 4.00pm, in which he outlined the key issues for the coming campaign – and spoke about the values that Rudd believes differentiate the Labor party from the Opposition.

Rudd spoke about the end of the China Resources Boom and said conclusively, “that boom is over”. But the Prime Minister also said that ‘Australia is too positive a nation … to retreat into a tight little ball of negativity’.

Kevin Rudd’s press conference.

Rudd talked about the need for a new attitude in politics – a theme that he has touched upon in previous addresses to the Australian public – and said that ‘the old politics of the past just won’t work for the future’.

“Three word slogans don’t solve complex problems – they never have, and they never will,” the Prime Minister said.

Kevin Rudd acknowledged that the Labor Party had made mistakes in the past – and also made reference to the fact that he had developed on a personal level in recent years – but reasserted that the Labor Party was in the best position to manage economic challenges in the future.

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Rudd asked, “Who do the Australian people trust best to lead them through the difficult new economic challenges which now lie ahead?”

Tony Abbott’s press conference.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott gave a press conference shortly after 5.00pm, in which he said that this coming election was a ‘choice between the positive plans of the Coalition, and more of the same from the Labor Party and Kevin Rudd’.

Abbott said: “My team is determined to build a better Australia. We will build a stronger economy so everyone can get ahead. We will scrap the carbon  tax, we will get the budget under control, we will stop the boats…”

“Who is more fair dinkum?” Mr Abbott asked. “The people who have been stable and united for three years in opposition, or the government who haven’t had the same policies from one week to the next?”

The Opposition leader posed a question to the Australian public: “Do you really want three more years like the last six?” Abbott said that he would not lead a minority government – and promised that he would not be doing deals with Independents or minor parties to form a government.

Christine Milne press conference.

Greens Leader Christine Milne also delivered a press conference shortly after the Prime Minister, in which she also criticised ‘old politics’, and expressed a need for Australia to move forward.

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Milne said, “This is the election that people can choose… to care for people and the environment, that’s what the Greens are offering this election.” Milne stressed that we live in a society – not an economy.

Milne said that she didn’t think that the Australian people wanted cruelty from our political leaders – and would rather see compassion – but ‘that’s all the old parties are offering’. The Greens leader further criticised the two major parties for talking about the future – but being entrenched in the past.

Earlier in the day, Kevin Rudd visited the Governor-General Quentin Bryce to let her know he intended to call an election, after flying out of Brisbane only a few hours previously.

The country will go to the polls on September 7, which means polling we be a week earlier than the date set by Julia Gillard.

Following his meeting with the Governor-General, Kevin Rudd tweeted a message, asking Australia to choose between a ‘positive plan for Australia’s future or old negative politics’.

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The Labor party also sent an email out to supporters soon after the election date was announced. The email, a message from Kevin Rudd, read:

It’s on.

A few moments ago I saw the Governor-General and asked that she dissolve this parliament and call the Federal Election for September 7.

An image from Kevin Rudd’s Instagram feed. “Just some final touches to my speech about the choice Australians will make on September 7. KRudd”

Australians now face a choice. And the choice couldn’t be starker.

I have a positive vision about the country we can be. In this election I’ll be talking with Australians across the county about better schools for our kids, investing so we can create good jobs, and about how the NBN can help keep our economy strong.

Tony Abbott has a different approach. He’ll bang on with the same negativity that we’re all sick of. He’s only got three word slogans because he doesn’t have the ticker to debate his real agenda.

Right now the only thing standing between Australia and an Abbott-led government is you, me, and as many Australians as we can rally to fight for the kind of nation we all want to live in.

It’s time to rally the troops.

This election will also mean the end of several political careers, as many members of the 43rd Parliament will not be standing again. This group includes a number of Labor MPs: the former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Simon Crean, Nicola Roxon, Martin Ferguson, and Stephen Smith. Independents Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor will also be retiring from Parliament, and from the Coalition Paul Neville and Alex Somlyay will not be standing again.