Campaign Diary Day Two
The alarm sounds at 4:30am. It's go time. A quick check that I've packed everything, then I'm off to the airport. First stop is Brisbane. Tony Abbott is spending his first day campaigning in Ipswich, but the location is kept a secret until after we land. The major parties are paranoid that their events will be marred by protesters or sabotaged by their opponents if word gets out too early.
The Opposition Leader tours a meatworks, with cameras and microphones in tow. I think to myself 'Abbott' sounds a bit like 'abattoir', as I peel away for my first live cross of the day. I return to fire questions at the media conference, then file more stories, make more phone calls and send more emails. Damn, my phone battery is already running below 40% and it's not even midday. Luckily, I have a clever little portable juice pack to recharge on the go.
Welcome to life on the 2013 election campaign trail. It's a heck of a ride already, and this has been a relatively quiet day. By 7:00pm, I've filed half a dozen live crosses or stories, and I'm heading back to the airport to rejoin the rest of the travelling media pack in Sydney.
Only 33 days to go, I think.
Abbott surprised a little on day one, making no new promises. Instead he reiterated his pledge to repeal the carbon tax as his first order of business in Government. It's a tired message, that has been somewhat diminished by Kevin Rudd's decision to fast-track the transition to an emissions trading scheme. Fortunately for the Coalition, Virgin Airlines announces on the same day that the carbon tax has contributed to a massive financial loss. It's good fortune, not good planning. And not good for the company, of course.
Abbott seems to think that maintaining the status quo will see him through. He will continue his cautious approach of recent months during the campaign, and hope it's enough build on his existing lead in the first opinion polls since the election date was announced.
Rudd's also surprised a little on day one. For a government and budget supposedly so strapped for cash, he managed to find $650 million to prop up the car industry, and support 'out of school hours care'. Talk about sending mixed signals.
On Tuesday, all eyes will be on the Reserve Bank. Market watchers are convinced the board will cut the official interest rate again. The Opposition claims it's a clear sign the economy is in trouble. The Government claims it's a win for mortgage holders and more evidence of its financial prudence.
Confused? Get used to it. In this fight to the political death that will likely end the vanquished's leadership ambitions forever, both leaders will do everything they can to convince voters not to vote for the other guy. Even if that means making things up, or blowing minor events out of all proportion.
My job is to cut through the spin, to better inform your opinions. It isn't always easy given the demands of the 24-hour news cycle and trying to keep up with the frenetic campaign pace. But there's no other place I'd rather be.
Note: During week one of the campaign, I am travelling with Tony Abbott. As a result, my diary entries will predominantly focus on him during that time. Kevin Rudd will accordingly receive more attention when I travel with him during the weeks that follow.
