16:30 - Kevin Rudd has gone on the attack over John Howard's policy announcements made at the Coalition's official campaign launch. Rudd says he did not see anything new in the Prime Minister's pledges and has highlighted what he says are key issues that were not addressed at the launch.
Rudd says the Howard Government had shown it had gone "stale" by not addressing areas such as hospitals, climate change, water, and infrastructure like broadband. Rudd believes Howard cannot claim to have a plan for the future without formulating policies in these areas.
Housing affordability was also highlighted by Rudd who says the ALP's policy in regard to housing is superior to the Government's.
16:00 - Kevin Rudd has responded to the pledges made at the Coalition's official campaign launch by claiming promises made by John Howard are irrelevant as he won't be around to ensure they are kept.
Mr Rudd told ABC Radio that due to the Government's increasing desperation, "what we're going to see is signs of Mr Howard saying anything and doing anything in order to win the election, but with this added kicker - that he will not be there to own responsibility for it."
According to Mr Rudd, the Prime Minister will make a lot of promises but "he's going to resign, so what's the point?"
15:00 - Kevin Rudd has announced the Opposition's Defence Policy. The Labor leader made the announcment from the Lavarack army base in Townsville, committing a future Rudd Government to an annual increase in defence spending of three per cent.
All the surrounding military firepower wasn't enough to keep two feisty plovers away. Rudd's minders avoided potential embarrassment by guiding the Opposition leader around the birds, circling overhead to protect their nearby nest.