Day four - bit of a quiet one wasn't it? Let's have a look back at the day that was:
- neither of the major parties made any significant policy announcements;
- but Labor secured much of the attention with the announcement former Queensland premier Peter Beattie would run in the seat of Forde;
- this caused a rearrangement of Kevin Rudd's schedule so that he could be by Mr Beattie's side for the moment (this is twice in two days Mr Rudd has been upstaged);
- it all provided fodder for musings about just what Mr Beattie expects to do should he be elected;
- but for now Mr Beattie says he would be happy to be a humble backbencher; and
- this left Coalition leader Tony Abbott happily pottering about Tasmania, a state on which Labor has a very shaky hold, inspecting cars and fish and getting a friendly lick from a dog.
My thanks again to everyone who reads and contributes.
And props to Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares for their wonderful work. We'll be back in the morning.
See you then.
Okay - it's that time of the day where I remind you, politely and respectfully, that you only have a bit over four days to enrol to vote or change your details if you need to do so.
The rolls close at 8pm on Monday (12 August).
Click here to find out more - go on, you know you want to.
Readers will remember Coalition leader Tony Abbott faced some babies who were not thrilled at the prospect of being turned into political props.
Mr Abbott has kept away from babies today but he did score a lick from a canine political enthusiast. Best in show.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott meets Boo, a 15-month old Pomeranian, in Devonport, Tasmania, on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Bit of housekeeping.
As you will be aware former Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce has his sights set on the NSW lower house seat of New England (the one formerly held by independent Tony Windsor who retired during that crazy last week of Parliament way back in June).
Mr Joyce resigned as a senator and as the leader of the Nationals in the Senate in order to contest the seat.
The person who is now acting in that job is NSW senator Fiona Nash.
A new leader of the Nationals' Senate team will be elected after the election.
Camos for Kids.
These fine gentlemen are some of the photographers, cameramen and sound recordists travelling with Coalition leader Tony Abbott during the campaign. In between events they are all busy not shaving for the duration of the campaign to raise fund for SIDS.
If you're interested in reading more about what they are doing and why and would consider donating to this excellent cause please click on this link.
The photographers and cameramen travelling with Coalition leader Tony Abbott in Devonport, Tasmania, on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Our man on the road with Kevin Rudd, Tony Wright, reports that Peter Beattie's emergence has produced the first demonstrators of the campaign.
Tony writes: "Armed with signs decrying 'We Remember the Last Time Beattie' and 'Blow In Blow Out Beattie' a small group of demonstrators was waiting outside the Beenleigh Events Centre an hour south of Brisbane."
Protestors gather before the arrival of Kevin Rudd and Peter Beattie in Beenleigh on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Mr Rudd concludes by saying he has not met with "Mr Murdoch for about three years" but he "stands to be corrected on the date".
And with that, they finish.
(That was exhausting. I'm not sure if Mr Rudd was out Petering Peter or if Mr Beattie was out Kevining Kevin.)
Mr Beattie is asked if he is prepared to be a "humble backbencher" (many people have noted today that Mr Beattie must want to do more should he be elected to Parliament).
"I've been humble all my life," Mr Beattie says with a megawatt smile before demurring that he really just wants to help the good people of Forde.
He out-Kevins Kevin by saying how much he loves the seat, he looks forward to spending some time with his children there, he'd like grandchildren but his children "haven't been as productive" as Mr Rudd's and points out his son in the back row.
Mr Beattie's wife, Heather, is thrust before the microphones to confirm that she supports her husband's return to politics.
"I think we both know who runs our families," Mr Rudd chortles. Ms Rein and Mrs Beattie are "a higher order".
(Gee - gender politics have came a long way haven't they?)
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Queensland premier Peter Beattie with Heather Beattie in Beenleigh on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Mr Beattie says education is the key. It is what took him from "working class trash" to Queensland premier.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Queensland premier Peter Beattie in Beenleigh on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Mr Rudd says this is not a "captain's pick" because it did not involve a sitting member.
The wooing of Mr Beattie was initially a matter for the state party, Mr Rudd says, but he did call Mr Beattie and ask him to step up a few days ago.
Mr Beattie says he would serve a full term even if Labor did not win government.
Questions begin.
Mr Rudd steps forward but the first one is for Mr Beattie.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Queensland premier Peter Beattie in Beenleigh on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Mr Beattie warns of "wall to wall" Liberal National Party representation across Queensland: "That's just not fair and it's just not good for Queensland."
Mr Beattie says that would mean "you can't keep the bastards honest".
He promises to be a "pain in the neck for Queensland".
Mr Rudd introduces Mr Beattie: "I'm sure he's shy. He's a media retiring person [so] I just want you to go easy on him."
Mr Beattie begins by saying he and his wife, Heather, moved into the electorate this morning. If he wins the seat they will buy a house there.
"I believe in being part of the electorate," Mr Beattie says.
Cheese.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Queensland premier Peter Beattie in Beenleigh on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
"For me, it's water off a duck's back. It doesn't really matter," Mr Rudd says of Mr Beattie's previous protestations that he did not want to enter federal politics (which the Coalition has been helpfully distributing to journalists and which you can read about in the 11.19am post).
The Rudd/Beattie juggernaut has rolled into town - Beenleigh (about an hour south of Brisbane).
"Tell me when you're ready to rock 'n roll," Mr Rudd begins.
"My name's Kevin, I'm from Queensland and I'm here to help. His name is Peter, he's from Queensland and he's here to help," Mr Rudd says.
Mr Rudd says Mr Beattie is "rolled gold Queensland" and confirms he will be Labor's candidate for the seat of Forde.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Queensland premier Peter Beattie in Beenleigh on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Mr Abbott is accompanied by the Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Braddon (where they are now) whose name is Brett Whiteley.
This is - obviously - not the painter but it's a bit confusing every time Mr Abbott says his name.
Tasmania did this to me yesterday when I read about Labor's candidate for the seat of Denison - Jane Austin.
One of the more closely watched seats is Melbourne, which is held by the Greens' deputy leader Adam Bandt. It used to be prime Labor territory but fell to the Greens in 2010 after the resignation of long-time Labor member and former minister Lindsay Tanner.
The Age's state political editor, Josh Gordon, wrote this story this morning citing polling that suggests Labor might be able to snatch it back.
Mr Bandt has hit back in this video report saying he plans on winning the seat in his own right despite the argy bargy between the majors parties about their preferences.
Bandt predicts Greens breakthrough
Greens MP Adam Bandt says the party plans to win the seat of Melbourne in its own right, regardless of a preference deal between "mortal enemies" Labor and the Coalition.
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"Tasmania has got to be a strong economy as well as a beautiful national park," Coalition leader Tony Abbott says.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott visits seafood processing plant in Devonport, Tasmania, on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The man who thought he was Labor's candidate for the seat of Forde (before he was seat-bombed by Peter Beattie) was a chap called Des Hardman. In a statement issued a short time ago Mr Hardman confirms he is standing aside for the good of the party.
"When I started this campaign twelve months ago I said that my main concern was ensuring a Labor victory in Forde and to ensure a Labor government was returned," Mr Hardman said.
"I am standing aside as a candidate in the interest of ensuring a Labor victory. While I am personally disappointed that I will not have an opportunity to stand as the Labor candidate in Forde, my primary concern has always been a Labor victory. I wish every success to the Labor campaign for Forde."
(Mr Hardman did not mention Mr Beattie by name.)
The RAAF C-17 carrying the media following Kevin Rudd's campaign has now landed in Brisbane. Andrew Meares tells me the plane had to - basically - be jump started in Sydney. The media pack has disembarked (our own Tony Wright is on the left of the frame sporting his trade mark Ray Bans) and is now on its way to the much delayed formal announcement of Peter Beattie's candidacy.
The media covering Prime Minister Kevin Rudd arrive in Brisbane on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
Wow - how cool is this? When you're a RAAF pilot your cock pit comes with cup holders!
The media plane for Kevin Rudd on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
I am so proud of the work Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen do. Day after day they file the best pictures as fast as they can. Their work is a huge part of what makes this blog so much fun.
I know you enjoy and appreciate their work as much as I do.
However I'm getting increasingly annoyed with people who take screen shots of their work and then retweet them or use them on Facebook. I understand that most of the time you mean no harm but when you do this it allows other outlets to photograph your image and run it as if it was their work. This is not only uncool but is a breach of copyright (not to mention stealing the hard work of Alex and Andrew).
Please consider how hard Alex and Andrew work before doing this. It's not difficult to credit their work.
If I see you doing this I will call you out. (And therein endeth the lecture.)
Google has announced the top search terms for Coalition leader Tony Abbott in the past 30 days.
The top ten biographical search terms people used once they had plugged in Mr Abbott's name were daughters, birthday, sister, catholic, biography, age, boxing, speedo, young and ancestry.
The top ten policy searches were fbt, divorce, boats, gonski, abortion, religion, refugee, muslims, carbon and nauru.
(I did not capitalise any of the terms because that's the way they were cited in the press released - presumably people don't worry about capitals when they search.)
Isn't Peter Beattie doing an awesome job of hijacking the agenda for today without even making an appearance? While we wait for him and Kevin Rudd to steal the afternoon's limelight let's have a look back through this photo gallery of Beattie highlights.
Click for more photos
Peter Beattie to stand in election 2013
Peter Beattie premier for Queensland during the Labor conference at the convention center Darling harbour Sydney. April 2007 Photo: Jacky Ghossein
Oh dear.
I always wonder about these stories. We - the metropolitan media - run them and tut tut over a candidate's lack of knowledge and polish. But the stories go viral and end up giving the candidate far more publicity than he or she could ever have dreamt of. So what has been gained? (I type while providing you with a link to said story.)
Today's Fact Checker is now available.
In today's episode The Age's economics correspondent, Peter Martin, looks at Coalition leader Tony Abbott's claim that cutting the company tax rate would be good for workers.
Tuesday's going to be a big day - that's when Treasury and the Department of Finance have said that the pre election economic and fiscal outlook (PEFO) will be released.
Bring your calculators.
It would normally be unthinkable for me to say whether or not I agree with something a politician says but in this case I whole heartedly endorse this tweet by Coalition leader Tony Abbott. This place is fabulous. So fabulous it was packed with staffers and media last night and poor Alex Ellinghausen could not get a table (or a steak).
Took an hour off the campaign last night for a steak at Black Cow in #Launceston. Again, it must be said, the steak is pretty hard to beat!
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) August 8, 2013
Remember the kerfuffle that erupted when it was reported that Coalition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison flew to Nauru courtesy of a logistics company that stood to profit from its policy?
No? You can find the story here.
The eagle-eyed Alex Ellinghausen noticed the Coalition's media bus pootling past one of the company's trucks while on the campaign trail earlier today.
The view from inside the Coalition media bus in Tasmania on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen used to call stories for reporters "feeding the chooks".
On the Coalition media bus in Tasmania someone is talking his words very seriously. It's a golden rule of media management - a hungry journalist is a grumpy journalist.
Media adviser Nicole Chant passes out treats on the Coalition media bus on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The Coalition's communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, is holding a press conference in Sydney.
He's having fun. He's also sporting a trench coat.
"Kevin Rudd might look like Tintin but he's not much of a detective," Mr Turnbull chortles while ridiculing any supposed conspiracy between the Coalition and Rupert Murdoch over broadband policy.
(Mr Turnbull is a huge Tintin fan so it probably pained him to liken the comic book hero to an opponent.)
"I know Rupert Murdoch very well," he adds in one of those lines that should come with its own hashtag - thingsonlymalcolmcansay.
Name dropper.
When do you think the Coalition should show you the money?
Coalition campaign spokesman Mathias Cormann says all in good time. The Coalition will release its costings sometime between the release of the pre election economic and fiscal outlook (that's PEFO for those up with the jargon) and polling day.
Costings? All in good time.
Shadow assistant treasurer Mathias Cormann says the Coalition will release its costings sometime between PEFO and polling day.
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Our man with Kevin Rudd, Tony Wright, reports from inside the C-17 RAAF plane being used to fly the media about that take off is imminent.
It is taxi-ing down the runway as I type. So the Kevin Rudd/Peter Beattie event scheduled for 12.30pm is likely to be pushed back again.
After all, as Tony notes: "Not much point making a big announcement without the media there. It'd be like a tree falling in the forest. If nobody saw it or heard it, did it really fall?"
Tony Abbott might have professed himself unconcerned by the emergence of Peter Beattie (see 10.38am post) but Coalition headquarters must be worried about something.
A comprehensive list of Mr Beattie's past utterings on the Labor party, not wanting to enter federal politics and what the Coalition sees as his failings as premier has just landed in the inboxes of press gallery journalists.
There's another term for such a list but I'll use the more polite one - dirt file.
Incidentally the Liberal National Party MP, Bert van Manen, holds the seat of Forde with a margin of 1.6 per cent - not exactly comfortable.
Peter Beattie - your appearance on the campaign trail cannot come soon enough.
This is the man who once swam in a shark tank and happily described himself as a "media tart".
"It's like two prostitutes standing on a corner talking about virginity. I plead guilty. I plead guilty for using every opportunity I can to get into the media to sell my government," Mr Beattie said back in 2000. "I'm a media tart. You tell me one politician that's not a media tart, tell me one that's not."
We're waiting.....
Labor's relationship with News Ltd has been a bit of a theme this week.
It started on Sunday when Fairfax columnist Paul Sheehan wrote this piece asserting that the reason Labor received such rough treatment by the media stable was because Rupert Murdoch did not care for its plans for the National Broadband Network.
I'll leave you to decide whether you think Labor gets a fair go by those particular outlets. (I note that it does not stop Labor from frequently favouring News Ltd with exclusive "drops" on stories. The relationship could possibly be described as co dependent.)
Naturally, the Coalition has jumped on the bandwagon and is upping the personal attacks on Kevin Rudd which alll came about because Mr Rudd inflamed the situation by suggesting Mr Murdoch was conspiring with the Coalition on broadband policy.
Breaking news reporter Judith Ireland has the latest.
Kevin Rudd's press conference is now due to take place in Brisbane some time after 12.30pm. This may have something to do with the fact that the media plane has broken down and is stuck on the tarmac at Sydney airport.
Coalition leader Tony Abbott is in Launceston firing off some pithy comments about the various news stories of the day.
"We are here to rescue the Australian people from unnecessary high taxes," Mr Abbott says while visiting a car dealership with the Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Bass, Andrew Nikolic.
What about Peter Beattie's decision to enter federal politics?
Oh, he's just "another flim flam man", Mr Abbott says. "You might ask 'Am I worried about Peter Beattie?' - no, but I bet Kevin Rudd is."
He finished by counselling Mr Rudd not to be so bolshy about the coverage he is receiving in News Ltd papers.
"Senior politicians have to take the rough with the smooth," Mr Abbott says (that statement should probably be bookmarked for future reference). "We've got a prime minister with a glass jaw and a thin skin."
Opposition leader Tony Abbott visiting a car dealership in Launceston, Tasmania, on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Oh the glamour of the campaign trail.
The media travelling with Kevin Rudd on board a RAAF C17 on Thursday. Photo: Andrew Meares
We're less than one week into the campaign and chief political correspondent Mark Kenny has already spied one campaign corpse - truth.
Surely not - would politicians really try and get your vote by fibbing or gilding the lily?
Here's Mark's take on the first few days.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott prepares to speak to the media in Launceston on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Youth vote? What youth vote?
Opposition leader Tony Abbott with Coalition supporters during a campaign office opening in Launceston, Tasmania, on Thursday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The day started with the news former Queensland premier Peter Beattie (the story was broken by the political editor of ABC TV's 7.30, Chris Uhlmann, this morning) will run as the Labor candidate for the seat of Forde.
Kevin Rudd has changed his campaign schedule to be with Mr Beattie for the announcement. I'll have all the details of that when it happens (it is expected to be later this morning).
Ah the colour and movement of the campaign trail. Yesterday was a great one filled as it was with photobombing kids and babies reluctant to be kissed.
It's worth going back for a look see.
The Age's national affairs editor, Tony Wright, is travelling with Kevin Rudd. He filed this wonderful piece about Wednesday's events. Read it if only for Tony's magical description of Mr Rudd's curious way with words. Tony describes it as "a folksy Queensland dialect loosely related to English".
The Sydney Morning Herald's sketch writer, Jacqueline Maley, is with Tony Abbott. She describes what happens when politicians spy babies presenting all sorts of potential cute photo opportunities only to be thwarted by the little creatures.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, leave the Bickford's factory in South Australia on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
While things are a little quiet event wise let's have a look at some of the stories running this morning.
Chief political correspondent Mark Kenny has the story that Labor would not match the Coalition's company tax cut because they are unaffordable. Labor suggests that the Coalition would have to raise the GST (a familiar catch cry from Labor yesterday) or accept a larger deficit.
The economy is a clear frontrunner for theme of the campaign thus far.
Well hello Peter Beattie. The former Queensland premier is throwing his hat into the ring for the seat of Forde. Says a lot about what he thinks Labor's chances are doesn't it? Get set for cheesy smiles and possibly the only person who can out folksy Kevin Rudd.
Great to have your company as Andrew Meares, Alex Ellinghausen and I bring you all the news from day four of the campaign.
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