Labor leads coalition, poll shows

Labor has bounded ahead in the polls but Prime Minister Julia Gillard says election
night a week away will still be a "nail biter" while the coalition says it's still
in with a chance.
The latest Nielsen poll in Fairfax newspapers shows Labor has narrowed the gap with
primary support up four points to 40 per cent and coalition support down three to
41.
On a two-party preferred basis, the government has en election-winning lead of 53 to
the coalition's 47 per cent.
Ms Gillard remains far and away preferred PM with 52 per cent support (up three) to
38 per cent for Mr Abbott (down three).
But Ms Gillard wasn't about to start cracking open the champagne.
"We are heading towards one of the closest, tightest races in Australia's history.
This will be a photo finish," she told reporters during a campaign media opportunity
on the NSW north coast.
"I have always said this was going to be tough, this was going to be close. I think
it's going to be a nail biter of a Saturday night."
Speaking in Perth, Opposition leader Tony Abbott said he was confronting the full
might of an incumbent government, five Labor states plus the $1 billion backing of
the trade union movement.
"I am running against big money, I am running against big factions, I am running
against big politics," he told reporters.
"But I think we can still do it."
Coalition campaign spokesman Andrew Robb tipped a knife-edge result with the
coalition still in with a chance.
He said the polls had shown this was a highly volatile election campaign.
"They were taken against the background of the sandbagging strategy of Labor's
faceless men," he told ABC radio.
"We have seen this week the multi-billion distribution of largesse, a feast of pork
if you like, promised to Labor marginal seats along the length and breadth of the
country in an attempt to buy a dishonourable victory as we saw recently in South
Australia."
Mr Robb said electors faced a stark choice which would concentrate their minds over
the next week.
"I think we are still in with a very big chance," he said.
The polls giveth and also taketh away with a Newspoll published in The Australian
newspaper suggesting Labor could lose a swag of seats in Queensland and NSW but hold
office through seats won from the coalition in Victoria.
Treasurer Wayne Swan said Queensland would be a photo finish, as it always was.
"I think it will go right down to the wire here in Queensland," he told reporters.
"It's important all Queenslanders and all Australians focus on the choice."
Mr Swan dodged the question of dumping former prime minister Kevin Rudd was costing
Labor support in their home state.
"Mr Rudd is an important part of this campaign," he said.