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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Aussies start vote, may boot Labor out

Infighting, carbon tax have proved unpopular

A woman points at Australia’s opposition leader Tony Abbott while he waits to cast his vote in Sydney today. (Associated Press)
Rod Mcguirk Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia – Australians headed to the polls today in an election that is expected to see the Labor Party ousted from government after six years in power.

Despite the lack of overwhelming enthusiasm for opposition leader Tony Abbott, he seems on track to guide his Liberal Party-led coalition to a victory over a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax, with opinion polls giving the coalition a commanding lead.

A poll by Sydney-based market researcher Newspoll published in the Australian newspaper today showed the coalition was leading Labor by 54 percent to 46 percent.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was once widely beloved by the public, becoming the nation’s most popular leader in three decades when he took on the top job in 2007. Now, his party is facing the prospect of an end to its six years in power amid voter frustration over years of party instability and bickering, and widespread hatred of a carbon tax on major polluters.

The carbon tax has long been a thorn in the side of the Labor Party. The previous prime minister, Julia Gillard, broke an election promise and agreed to impose the tax in a bid to form a coalition Labor needed to stay in power.

Labor required the support of the minor Greens party – which insisted on the tax – in order to have enough seats in Parliament to control government.

The deal helped lead to her downfall, and in June, Gillard lost her job to Rudd in a vote of party lawmakers.

The Gillard vs. Rudd drama and the squabbling between their camps left many voters disillusioned. To some former Labor supporters, Abbott – once dubbed “unelectable” by a former boss – was seen as the lesser of two evils.

Abbott has vowed to scrap the carbon tax and instead introduce taxpayer-funded incentives for polluters to operate cleaner.