Main stories in Wednesday's World Today

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2010
Main stories in Wednesday's World Today

SYDNEY, Aug 4 AAP - Main stories in Wednesday's World Today program:

* Prime Minister Julia Gillard spent Wednesday continuing to promote the government's
economic record, saying there is nothing more important than having a strong national
economy and low unemployment. Opposition leader Tony Abbott meanwhile says the three most
important concerns for voters are economic security, national security and competence
in government.

* The Coalition has flatly denied it had any involvement in funding a retail organisation
that is opposing the government's introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes. Prime
Minister Julia Gillard says opposition leader Tony Abbott needs to come clean about what
involvement the Liberal Party has in the tobacco campaign, while Abbott denied the claims
and said an elected Coalition government would push ahead with the government's current
anti-smoking campaign.

* Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced Wednesday that a re-elected Labor government
would make family-benefit payments more flexible so people can meet urgent bills. Gillard
was campaigning in Queensland, home to a number of key marginal seats, where she renewed
her offer to hold a televised debate on the economy with opposition leader Tony Abbott.



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KEYWORD: MONITOR WORLD TODAY

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