Australia’s PM leads polls ahead of election

Gillard’s campaign struggled over the past two weeks after the Labour Party ousted former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last June, with some polls having shown an advantage to opposition leader Tony Abbot to win the election on 21 August.

The latest Newspoll in the Australian newspaper today gave Gillard’s Labour a four-point lead with the government on 52% compared with 48% for the conservative opposition, showing a volatile electorate. Gillard also remains preferred prime minister with 49% compared to 34% for Abbot.

The latest Reuters Poll Trend shows that Australia is facing the possibility of the first hung parliament since World War Two, while Nielsen’s poll revealed the government to be behind the opposition by 49 to 51% and headed for defeat.

The government proposed a 30% tax on big iron ore and coal mines in Australia.

While the larger companies like BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and XstrataL> have agreed to the tax reform smaller mining companies have remained angry at the proposed tax scheme, which Abbot promised to abandon should he win office.

Abbot officially launched his campaign on Sunday, pledging tougher prison sentences for people-smugglers and a united team if he wins office.

Illegal immigration is shaping up as a decisive issue, with opinion polls showing that voters in marginal seats are concerned that Canberra is not doing enough to return boatloads of asylum seekers.