Australian poll goes down to the wire

Green party protesters show their displeasure over refugee policy

By CNN's Grant Holloway

CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- In his last major set-piece election campaign pitch, Australian Prime Minister John Howard has again nominated illegal immigration and national security as defining issues for the electorate.

Howard used his National Press Club address Thursday to stress his leadership experience and to warn that the opposition Labor party would back away from tough new border protection laws if it were to become government.

According to opinion polling, Howard's conservative coalition government is running neck-and-neck with Labor as Australians prepare to vote on November 10.

Howard has spent much of this election campaign focussing on the issue of national security and border protection whilst the Labor party has capitalized on domestic issues such as an unpopular goods and services tax, health services and education.

Howard said he believed it was an important national responsibility to protect Australia's borders from illegal immigration.

Australia has weathered considerable international criticism since adopting, in August this year, a zero-tolerance policy towards asylum seekers arriving at the nation's shores.

CNN.com Asia More news from our Asia edition   EXTRA INFORMATION Australia's tide of refugees    COUNTRY PROFILE At a glance: Australia Provided by CountryWatch.com

The Howard government has also tightened its border protection laws since August, making it nearly impossible for any asylum seeker landing in the remote island outposts of Australia to claim refugee status.

That policy of turning away boat people or transferring them to Pacific island detention centers has proved electorally popular, but has also attracted a phalanx of high-profile detractors in recent days.

Senior religious leaders, academics and political figures from all sides of politics have voiced their concern over the stance which they say is inhumane and damaging to Australia's international reputation.

The Greens party made a similar point Thursday organizing a flotilla of water-borne protesters to display their displeasure outside the prime minister's harbor-side Sydney residence.

Howard was unrepentant however, saying every nation had the right to decide who came to the country and the circumstances in which they arrive.

He said to back away from the tough stance now would be sending the wrong signal to the rest of the world that Australia was a soft touch for people smugglers.

"I believe you've got to run an orderly refugee program," Howard said.

"I ask my critics to contemplate the alternatives. If we reverse our policy it will act as a magnet … for more and more people to try to come to this country."

Howard said that post September 11, the government had a "heightened obligation" to absolutely determine the bona fides of would be immigrants or refugees.

Election a litmus test

PM John Howard says the flow of asylum seekers is starting to slow

Responding to suggestions the government's stance was unsustainable and had not stopped the flow of boat people to Australian shores, Howard said he had information and intelligence that the numbers of people entering the people-smuggling pipeline was starting to slow.

The prime minister also stressed the economic management credentials of his government over the past five and a half years, in particular the running of budget surpluses and the paying down of international debt.

But that message was blunted somewhat by the release Thursday of jobs data which showed the unemployment rate had jumped to a 2.5-year high of 7.1 percent.

With a little over one day of campaigning left, the Australian election is shaping up as a litmus test for the impact of the September 11 terror attacks on political sentiment.

If the Howard government is returned for a third term, that would suggest global security fears have been heightened enough to convince swinging voters not to risk changing administration during such uncertain times.