Opposition leader Tony Abbott with wife Margie at the Liberal federal mini election campaign rally at Auburn Basketball Centre in Sydney. Picture: Nikki Short Source: News Limited
Opposition leader Tony Abbott at the Liberal federal mini election campaign rally at Auburn Basketball Centre in Sydney. Picture: Nikki Short Source: News Limited
OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has fired the starting pistol for the 2013 election campaign, telling a rally of his supporters in outer western Sydney the federal election due later this year would be the most important in a generation.
At the beginning of a mini-campaign tour, Mr Abbott did not announce any new initiatives.
He recommitted the coalition to a range of policies including abolition of the carbon tax and a return to the border protection policies of the former Howard government.
Significantly, however, he did not renew a commitment to return the federal budget to surplus during his first year in office.
Senior Liberal sources at the rally said it would be necessary to learn what new commitments were contained in federal Treasurer Wayne Swan's election budget in May, before a timetable to return the budget to surplus could be announced.
Also significant was the setting for the rally which confirms the importance of outer western Sydney as a key election battleground.
Lidcombe, where Mr Abbott kicked off his mini campaign, is in the marginal federal electorate of Reid, held for Labor by John Murphy.
Mr Abbott and shadow treasurer Joe Hockey were introduced by the Liberal candidate for Reid, Craig Laundy, whose family has been prominent in the hotel business.
The coalition will kick off its election television advertising campaign tonight, during the Australian Open men's tennis final.
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