Polls Open in Australia´s National Elections

Howard trails in opinion polls, with some forecasting a landslide victory for opposition Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

Polling booths opened on Australia's eastern seaboard on Saturday in national elections which will decide whether conservative Prime Minister John Howard is re-elected for a fifth term.

Howard, in office for more than 11 years, trails in opinion polls, with some forecasting a landslide victory for opposition Labor leader Kevin Rudd and others a narrow Howard win.

Labor needs to win an extra 16 seats to form government.

Howard is a staunch U.S. ally and if re-elected has committed to maintaining Australian troops in Iraq. He has offered voters A$34 billion (US$29 billion) in tax cuts, but few new policies.

In contrast Rudd has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq and sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which would further isolate Washington on both.

A total of 1,421 candidates will contest 150 seats, from the smallest and wealthiest electorate which covers Bondi Beach to the world's largest electorate, Kalgoorlie, the outback seat the combined size of France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain. Voting is compulsory for 13.6 million Australians, aged over 18.