Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Abbott facing sleepless night on campaign trail

Updated at 10:00 pm on 19 August 2010

Australia's Opposition leader Tony Abbott is taking his election campaign to Sydney ahead of a sleepless night during which he plans to talk to as many voters as possible.

Mr Abbott is running a political marathon in the final two days of the campaign.

The ABC reports during his 36-hour stint, he swept through four seats in Brisbane on Thursday, where he focused on his paid parental leave scheme and his attack on Labor's mining tax.

He defended his continuous campaigning, saying he wants to reach as many voters as possible. This included visiting a pub and he is expected to hit the airwaves overnight.

Mr Abbott is under pressure over his budget costings and he has yet to release his promised superannuation policy.

Labor promises fathers parental leave

Labor leader Julia Gillard has promised fathers two weeks of paid parental leave under a Labor government as she urged voters to keep her on as Prime Minister.

The party's 18-week parental leave scheme would come into effect at the start of next year, the ABC report.

Ms Gillard says the extra measures would give both parents more time with their newborn baby and about 220,000 fathers and other partners would benefit from the change.

They would be paid about the minimum wage - about $A570 a week.

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