I participated in the end stages of that discussion, so I'm very aware what occurred. You both held strong views on the subject & you both expressed them. With vigour. 
Poll puts Labor ahead as campaign begins
Updated 1 hour 25 minutes ago
Campaigning begins .. Julia Gillard will be in Brisbane today, while Tony Abbott is in Sydney. (AAP: Alan Porritt)
The first opinion poll of the 2010 election campaign shows Labor leading the Coalition after preferences by 52 to 48.
The Galaxy poll, published in News Limited papers today, has the Liberal primary vote at 42 per cent, Labor is below that on 39 per cent and the Greens on 13 per cent.
It is the Greens preferences that give Labor its lead over the Coalition.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has been attacking Labor over the way former prime minister Kevin Rudd lost the leadership to Julia Gillard, calling it an assassination.
The Galaxy poll finds 57 per cent of those surveyed think the way it happened will harm Labor's re-election chances.
But Ms Gillard has a 23 point lead over Mr Abbott as preferred prime minister.
Most people surveyed say they think the Labor party will win the election. ..<cont>
has to say (Green Guide). He is Oz's no 1 political analyst (in my humble opinion) & is usually spot-on in his analysis & predictions. A living, walking, breathing Oz politics encyclopedia! The battle begins
July 18, 2010
Julia Gillard says that Australians will have a clear choice between her and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. Pictures: Stefan Postles, Paul Harris
AUSTRALIANS were told yesterday they would be presented with a clear choice when they go to the polls on August 21, but the campaign is shaping to be one of the narrowest in recent memory, with neither political leader announcing new policy directions and both scrambling to neutralise contentious issues.
But in the first stumble of the campaign, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was forced to hose down a potential industrial relations disaster.
Mr Abbott's move to counter Ms Gillard's claim that he intended to reintroduce WorkChoices backfired despite his assurances.
He kicked off his campaign by saying: ''WorkChoices is dead. Today I've not just buried the body but cremated it too.''
But his vow that he would preserve Labor's industrial relations legislation through a first Coalition term, were undermined when Opposition workplace relations spokesman Eric Abetz said ''tweaking'' of the workplace regulations could not be ruled out.
''We will not be revolutionising, or indeed reforming, we would only be tweaking and that is what our policy will confirm,'' Senator Abetz said.
It was a gift to Labor. ...<cont>
)Strong support for Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Tony Abbott will take on Julia Gillard in a federal election on August 21.
UPDATE 9:20am: JULIA Gillard has entered the election campaign with a winning lead in the polls that has barely been dented by any of her first faltering steps as Prime Minister.
And Labor has today wasted no time attempting to target Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's record as a health minister, warning he will wind back important reforms of the system.
Labor's primary support is sitting on 39 per cent, slightly less than the 41 per cent Ms Gillard picked up in the days after becoming PM on June 24, but an election-winning position after preferences.
A national Galaxy poll of 800 people conducted for the Sunday Herald Sun has the ALP leading the Coalition 52 to 48 per cent in a two-party preferred vote.
Ms Gillard's mishandling of the asylum policy appears only to have dented Labor's primary vote, with it slipping from 41 per cent to 39 per cent since last Sunday. ...<cont>
)It is the Greens preferences that give Labor its lead over the Coalition.
She likes the idea of a female PM but "Labor has ruined this country. They have destroyed it completely."
):Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is under intense pressure to explain his position on workplace relations after a series of media interviews today.
Labor, Greens seal preferences deal
The Greens have confirmed that they have struck a preferences deal with Labor, which will affect the Senate and some key House of Representatives seats in the upcoming federal election.
It is understood the deal involves more than 50 key Lower House seats.
The deal means Labor will direct its Senate preferences to the Greens, while the Greens will direct preferences to the ALP in the Lower House seats.
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