Canberra - Australia's Prime Minister John Howard and opposition leader Kevin Rudd have launched their campaigns for the upcoming parliamentary elections with media offensives. In a television interview, Mr Howard predicted a tough campaign, and underscored this by calling Mr Rudd's Labour party inexperienced and a danger to the economy. In turn, Mr Rudd called Mr Howard's government unimaginative. The prime minister admitted it would be difficult for his party to win. The latest opinion polls show Labour leading by 12 percent of the votes. On Sunday, Mr Howard announced that the elections would be held on 24 November. He said he had chosen a campaign period of six weeks, the longest period possible, to allow Australians to hear his message.

                 

Already Howard announced a 24 November election saying the country "does not need new leadership, it does not need old leadership. It needs the right leadership. Howard is running for a fifth term in the 2007 election on Saturday 24 November, against the opposition Australian Labor Party led by Kevin Rudd.