Liveblog with Jack the Insider
And we're off...
And we're off...
To the polls. Julia Gillard today called upon the Governor General, Quentin Bryce to dissolve the Federal Parliament and issue electoral writs.
The Coalition will start as underdogs with Labor ahead in the polls and favoured by the bookies.
Still, the margin between the two parties is close and the election is there to be won with both sides having more or less an even chance.
Ultimately, this election will be won and lost in the course of the campaign. Expect intricately stage-managed performances from both Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard. One suspects this election will go to the leader and party who make the least gaffes while on the trail.
What is the biggest campaign issue for you? Is it economic management that will get you scratching away one way or another in the ballot box? Will the asylum seeker and border protection issue dominate the campaign? Is health the strong voting determinant for you? Or is education the prevailing issue?
Join Jack the Insider in the first hours of the campaign for a Live Blog on Election 2010.