Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Australian leaders trade blows in televised debate

Updated at 6:36 am on 26 July 2010

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has accused opposition leader Tony Abbott of being tricky with his new immigration policy, saying she is already delivering what the opposition leader has promised.

Immigration policy and the issue of asylum seekers dominated much of the leaders' debate at the National Press Club in Canberra on Sunday night.

Mr Abbott challenged Ms Gillard to match his plan for reducing Australia's immigration intake.

The coalition has promised to cut the annual intake from 300,000 to 170,000 in its first term of government.

The Prime Minister said the Labor government had already reduced the immigration intake from 300,000 in 2008 to 175,000 this year, with further reductions in the pipeline.

This is their only televised debate of the election campaign.

The ABC reports that neither leader landed a killer blow with both staying on message in what was a low-risk performance.

Seven Network's "Polliegraph", which monitors the audience reaction, said Prime Minister Julia Gillard won the debate by a narrow margin.

Labor won 53% of the vote ahead of the coalition during the one-hour debate on Sunday.

The election is to be held on 21 August.

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