THE election campaign is almost four weeks down, with two to go for political leaders to ram home why they should be charged with leading the country.
While Rudd presses the flesh up and down the east coast of Australia, John Howard has been working to outline his government's competency as an economic manager, which is better able to manage interest rate rises.
In an interview with Rural Press last week, a still energised Mr Howard said it would be a mistake to say all of rural Australia was facing economic hardship or difficulty, when in fact there were many regional areas "doing very well".
But Mr Rudd has revealed to Rural Press that the Coalition has watched over a decline in services to the bush and let farmers "blow in the breeze" in the challenge to adapt to climate change.
While Mr Howard appears to "still have it" when it comes to passionately believing in the future of rural Australia, Mr Rudd is firm in his belief the bush has been let down, and said rural Australia is very much a part of Labor's social and economic agenda.
But farmers will be carefully watching to see whether Mr Rudd's talk relates to action, because there has been little heard from the Opposition until now to suggest agriculture is a headline event at Labor's show.
Roads have been the major area for regional commitments by Labor and the Coalition, with a series of announcements (and largely re-announcements) about road funding priorities for the next decade and beyond.
Live exports, while considered to have been an unlikely election issue, have dominated the agricultural election headlines this week, with Labor's admission that negative public opinion could shut the gate on the massive livestock trade.
But Labor has yesterday accused the Coalition of "hypocrisy" with WA Liberal backbencher, Barry Haase, conceding any evidence of animal abuse in the industry in either Australia or the country it exports to could see the Liberals move to close it also.
How do you think the campaign is unfolding?