Two migrants in Australian polls

Australia will soon have a choice between two English-born migrants who are vying for leadership of this continent when the country goes to the polls on August 21.

Julia Gillard, the first ever-female Prime Minister, took the short trip from Canberra's Parliament House to call on the Governor General Quentin Bryce and announced a federal general election for the House of Representative and half the Senate. It was a historic all-female beginning to a five-week election campaign.

Ms Gillard, a 48-year-old industrial relations lawyer, an atheist with a deeply working-class heritage, is the daughter of Welsh migrants.

She has a long-term partner, Tim Mathieson, and no children. She served as Deputy Prime Minister under Kevin Rudd.

Tony Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition, is 52, was born in London and raised on Sydney's affluent North Shore, becoming a trainee Catholic priest, a journalist and political adviser before he entered politics. He is married with three children and has constantly sought to mesh his Catholic philosophies with political pragmatism.

There is no doubt that this 43rd election will turn federal politics into an intense battle of personalities. It will be a battleground for a clash of gender, ideologies and intellect.

The Labour leader wants Australia to move forward. The opposition is insisting that to change policies you have to change the government.

In the 2007 election, Mr Rudd's Labour Party snatched 24 seats from the Liberal-National Coalition. The present Parliament incorporates Labour with 83 seats, Coalitions with 64 and two independents. After a mid-term redistribution of boundaries, the Coalition needs a swing of 2.4 per cent and a gain of 18 seats in order to win government.

Since the 2007 election, the pace of political change was dramatic. The Liberal Party has dumped two leaders, Brendon Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull, before they settled on Mr Abbott. Labour, having won an enormous victory under Mr Rudd, turned on him and dumped him from leadership on June 23. This shows the erratic and volatile nature of politics, where popularity and preference swing dramatically between personalities.

Ms Gillard is asking the Australian people to elect her as the first female Prime Minister. She has proven to have all the credentials of a powerful leader. Mr Abbott is a bit erratic and on the conservative side but, nonetheless, a good communicator. They, no doubt, will provide an enthralling electoral campaign.

The dumping of Mr Rudd, the politician who led Australia so successfully through the global recession and apologised to the stolen generation, did no go down well with Labour supporters but they now see in Ms Gillard a very determined meticulous leader. Climate change and the arrival of boat people are looming large in the debate. The refugee debate always stirs emotions and whips up fear. Mr Abbott wants to turn the boats back when possible while the other side is insisting there is no easy fix with asylum seekers and are boosting international border protection.

The opposition has often called the arrival of asylum seekers a peaceful invasion, an armada and a tsunami of boats, yet, this is seen only as putting fear into such an emotional debate. When it comes to asylum-seekers, Australia is near the bottom of international rankings with just 6,170 allowed into the country in 2009. That compares with about 30,000 in the UK, 33,000 in Canada and 42,000 in France.

When Australia goes to the polls on August 21, the people will have a clear choice and, hopefully, they will elect a party that will continue to lead Australia with a strong and stable government.