By Roy Weavers , Editor

It seems like just 5 weeks ago that Julia Gillard called an election and unbelievably it seems like just one month earlier Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister.... just imagine that....hey wait a minute it's true!

In just 9 short weeks we've gone from whinging behind the Prime Ministers back to voting for a new one!   Doesn't time fly when you're having fun!

But who we vote for?

Immediately after Julia Gillard became Prime Minister, according to her own admission, she's turned into the real Julia Gillard, so perhaps we should have begged the question a little earlier, who was she before she was the Prime Minister?

Tony Abbott has gone from a novice in terms of being a leader of the Coalition party, a role he had tried previously in the priesthood, to doing his best to convince the Australian people that he could lead them through the wilderness and out into the promised land after three years of global catastrophy.

In support his Leichhardt region henchman, Mr Warren Entsch has enthusiastically blazed a trail through the campaign, pledging multi millions of dollars, often to Mr Abbott's surprise, for every conceivable project that looked like a vote winner.   Mr Jim Turnour his opponent and sitting MP for the area, on the other hand, has taken a more considered approach but seemingly no less generous.

Isn't it amazing how much money can be banded about without a single penny leaving the bank, I wish I had the secret?

Metaphorically, both prospective members have blasted each other from opposite sides of the net, not the internet, obviously 'cos Mr Abbott wouldn't sanction the funding of any broadband.

Mr Entsch, however, launched his final week's 'bombast' this morning with a few scathing words to his opponent, "Labor’s spin machine is out of control, peppering the nation’s inboxes with press releases full of loose-truthed weasel words and outright lies.  The facts are that all Coalition committments are fully funded. Every single project announced by local candidates and MPs are fully funded and accounted for in our costings.  Why would anyone believe Labor proclamations when these are the people who wasted up to $8 billion on school halls, presided over the pink batt fiasco, and are currently borrowing $100 million a day to pay for their pork barrels?”

Jim Turnour didn't rise to the bait, in fact he attempted to cut through Warren's rhetoric by quietly stating, "Mr Entsch has announced a number of plans including a monorail in the Daintree, a bridge over East Trinity and Sports and Cultural Precinct that in total would add up to billions in local projects.  These projects are not properly costed and not funded as both Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey made clear when they visited Cairns during the election campaign".

I think that made the score 15 all but then Warren attempted a short sharp volley reaffirming "All projects announced by candidates are funded from a range of Coalition initiatives".

Mr Turnour, sensing he had hit a nerve, stepped up to the net and sent over a cleverly disguised little volley, "A vote for me will enable me to continue strengthening and diversifying our economy and improving local health, education and broadband services.  It really does concern me that people have been confused by what my opponent Mr Entsch has been promising without the support of his leader Mr Abbott.  Mr Abbott made it clear in a statement last week that promises by his own local candidates could not be trusted".

Could Mr Enstch make a viable return to get back on top, from this erudite slice of Turnour backhand?

Well needless to say, the old warhorse, had a couple of shots in his arsenal.  He neatly side-stepped the fast ball and slammed, “We confirmed yesterday how we will stop the waste, repay the debt and stop the new taxes.  All Labor confirmed is they’ll do anything to steal an election.”

Ouch, that was a bit near the mark.  Jim Turnour was forced to play a drop shot just over the net addressed directly to the voters, "It really is up to you this Saturday.  I have been working hard over the past two and half years and am proud of what I have achieved by working with the local community.  I ask you at the election this Saturday to think hard about whether you want to go back to Mr Entsch and help make Tony Abbott Prime Minister or to keep this region moving forward."

Don't you love catchphrases ?

Racing from the baseline, Mr Warren superbly saved his best 'til last with an eleventh hour announcement that Shadow Minister for Trade, Transport & Local Government Warren Truss, Shadow Minister for Energy & Resources Ian Macfarlane and the mighty Mr Entsch himself today confirmed that a Coalition Government will support the $150m committment made under the AusLink/Nation Building budget to improve the southern approach to  Cairns".

Wow another $150 mllion, what a scorcher, but wait it looks like Mr Turnour is going to counter even this surprise attack.  “These projects add up to billions of dollars and Mr Entsch has a track record of not delivering on any of them after almost 12 years previously as the Member.   Mr Entsch as the Member for Leichhardt would put at risk our region’s economic recovery and important projects like the Southern Access Road Upgrade and the new Regional Performing Arts Centre as the first stage of the Cultural Precinct.   Only a Gillard Government has made funded committments to these important projects that will support hundreds of jobs desperately needed in our region.”

Is it me or this is beginning to resemble that marathon tennis match played at Wimbledon this year between Nicolas Mahut and John Isner and that also got extremely boring in the end.

There's only one way to decide who the winner is going to be, we should have a vote....Oh, yes that was where this all started wasn't it, apologies I'd got too carried away with my tennis analogy?

Good luck to all of you when deciding who you are going to vote for tomorrow, my personal opinion is quite simple really.  Select either a Labor or Coalition candidate for the Federal member but then ensure the Senate is full of the Greens.  That should keep them on their toes!