Rudd Relies on Queensland Roots as Defeat for Labor Looms
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Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s prospects at this week’s election hinge on his home state of Queensland, a region 2 1/2 times the size of Texas that’s given federal Labor a majority of votes just once in 20 years.
Rudd’s governing Labor party must pick up seats in the state to offset forecast losses in its heartland of western Sydney, another battleground in the Sept. 7 vote. Opinion surveys suggest Rudd’s local roots won’t be enough to propel Labor over the line in opposition-held Queensland districts.