Elections will be held on 9 October

Elections will be held on 9 October

Australian Prime Minister John Howard's announcement of an October general election has sparked discord in the national press over the territory on which the election will be fought.

Some commentators believe that domestic issues and the personalities of the party leaders will be the deciding issues, while others see the issue of security and the war against terror as important factors.

Since 11 September, with the tragic reinforcement of the Bali atrocity on 12 October, 2002, Western democracies such as ours have grappled with the spectre of terror. It is against this backdrop that the 9 October election takes place. Unlike the last federal election, in November 2001, when there was still a probably naive sense of remoteness about the implications of the 11 September attacks, both sides of politics now know that Australia faces a very real and direct threat to its security. As such, the question of how to address that threat will be crucial in determining how the nation votes.

The Daily Telegraph - editorial

This will surely be a very different election to the 2001 poll, which was called just three weeks after the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States. That campaign was held in an atmosphere of international uncertainty: the world had changed but it was unclear what the change would mean... But over the next 40 days the campaign will be fought on predominantly domestic issues: the economy, health, interest rates, education and provision for families.

The Age - editorial

The prime minister will reach out to the innate conservatism of Australians... The Labor leader will only win... by convincing people 'it's time' for change... But while both men will point to their opponent as the inevitable architect of disaster in office, the truth is that not a great deal divides them... At the start of the campaign this election shows sad signs of being a contest between two master political duellists, who will feint and parry while waiting for the other to make a mistake. It is not good enough. We need to see the policy detail, not just the slogans and promises, on how they will make Australians a happier, more prosperous people.

The Australian - editorial

Mr Howard's challenge is to get voters focused on issues that reflect kindly on his eight years as prime minister. Top of that list is unprecedented economic prosperity... Mr Howard also is entitled to claim an electoral advantage for his record on issues of domestic security and Australia's engagement in the region... Mr Latham must demonstrate his conversion to cool-headedness is durable. He must show Labor's ideas are competitive, comprehensive, comprehensible, compatible and compelling... The orthodoxy is that oppositions do not win government but that governments lose it. Mr Latham, however, has recognised the folly of trying to remain invisible while an incumbent disintegrates.

The Sydney Morning Herald - editorial

Every election is high stakes but this one will have more than the usual elements of drama and suspense... This is the stark choice facing voters: what kind of country do we want to be?.. For the first time since at least 1996, there is real choice... There are clear policy differences on issues such as the management of the US alliance, ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, child care and the income level at which tax cuts apply.

The Sydney Morning Herald - columnist and author Anne Summers

The main issue of this election is Mark Latham - and whether he can convince the nation to trust him as prime minister.

The Australian - political journalist and historian Paul Kelly

In Howard's favour is a strong economy and a low interest rate environment... Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello will make much of Labor's economic record. It will be a no-holds-barred scare campaign, warning of higher interest rates.

The Australian - chief political reporter Steve Lewis

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