Australian Prime Minister Howard ahead in poll

[MtnBiker]

Opinion poll gives Howard edge

Mr Howard is now slightly ahead of Mr Latham
The latest opinion poll for Australia's federal election showed Prime Minister John Howard slightly ahead of his main rival, Labor leader Mark Latham.
A survey by market research firm ACNielsen gave Mr Howard's conservative coalition 52% of the vote, compared to Labor's 48%.

With less than a week to go before the 9 October poll, Mr Latham has turned his attention to Tasmania's forests.

On Monday he pledged to reduce logging in the area, while safeguarding jobs.

But with opinion polls too close to allow any confident predictions, correspondents say the economy looks set to be the ultimate deciding factor in the election race.

As well as showing that Labor was slightly behind the conservative coalition, the ACNielsen survey found that Mr Howard had a clear lead in the popularity stakes.

He was listed as the preferred choice of prime minister by 52% of those polled, compared to just 40% who preferred Mr Latham.

Mr Howard told reporters on Sunday: "I think we'll make it, but it will be close."

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Although Kerry would call him bribed, Howard has been a very good ally in the war on terror.