14:30 - Kevin Rudd takes the stage with Julia Gillard's last words - the next Prime Minister of Australia - hanging in the air. Rudd smiles and points (click the video tab to compare Rudd's entrance to Howard's). Techy rock music plays. Rudd draws attention to the Liberal leadership handover saying Howard is unequipped to deal with the challenges of the future because he has no future himself.
Rudd hones in on industrial relations and evokes Bernie Banton in criticising the Government's Workchoices legislation. Rudd promises to abolish Workchoices and AWAs if elected. Rudd says a Labor government will increase the childcare tax rebate to 50%, establish a national inquiry in to grocery prices and appoint a Petrol Commissioner.
Rudd refers to the spending announced at the Coalition's election launch and says it is an example of the Prime Minister trying to buy his way out of trouble. Rudd is applauded when he says he will heed the warnings of the Reserve Bank and that he has no intention of repeating Howard's irresponsible spending.
And with the vegies out of the way, it's time for the meat. Rudd says he will pledge less than one quarter of what Mr Howard did at the campaign launch on Monday.
Rudd commits a Labor government to 2,000 extra aged care beds, GP Superclinics, measures to cut waiting times for elective surgery and investment to combat the cancer curse. Rudd's announcement that he will re-establish a Commonwealth public dental program is greeted by wide smiles.
It's environment time: Rudd will immediately ratify Kyoto, set a 60% carbon target, establish Australia's first carbon trading scheme and a set a renewable energy target of 20% by 2020. Rudd says a Labor government will establish a clean coal innovation fund, a renewable energy fund and announces a range of water measures
A Labor government will set up Infrastructure Australia, a Building Australia fund and a state of the art FTTN national broadband network.
Rudd moves on to the education revolution and speaks of his desire to make Australia's the best education system in the world. He commits a future Rudd government to 450,000 extra training places and 65,000 new apprenticeships over the next four years. Rudd announces that all schools across Australia will be connected to a new national broadband network, and says every student from years 9 to 12 will have access to their own computer at school ... something Rudd says Howard finds "exotic".
Rudd turns to the unis and announces that a Labor Government will double the number of undergraduate scholarships to a total 88,000 by 2012.
Rudd makes another unexpected pledge: to take his wife out to dinner -- it is their 26th wedding anniversary.
Rudd finishes up by saying he will be a Prime Minister for all Australians, including Indigenous Australians and those affected by drought. He says it is time for Australia to rediscover its own voice in the world and says it is time for Australian troops in Iraq to come home.
Mr Rudd last words are, "The nation now needs new leadership for the future; the nation now wants new leadership for the future. Today I stand before you ready to deliver that leadership for Australia's future."
14:25 - A slick little video production precedes Kevin Rudd on stage. Al Gore, economic conservatism and education are the by-words ... as well as some in Mandarin.
14:20 - Julia Gillard has taken the stage. She speaks about the choice faced by Australians and says Kevin Rudd represents the future the country needs. Gillard says Australia stands at a fork in the road and urges that a Rudd Labor Government is the right choice for the future.
14:10 - Premier Anna Bligh adresses the conference, saying that go-ahead, go-get-em Queensland is an example of what Labor governments can achieve. Bligh tells Australia to "put a Queenslander in charge" and says: "Friends, it's time for Kevin."
14:05 - - The ALP's campaign is officially under way ... and here you were thinking it had started months ago. MC Senator John Faulkner has intorduced former Prime Ministers Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating to thunderous applause from the clearly expectant Labor faithful. Christine Anu sings Advance Australia Fair. Everyone claps.
13:30 - Well, we've waited this long ... Sky News is reporting that the Labor Party's official campaign launch may be delayed by up to an hour.
12:30 - Kevin Rudd is currently preparing for Labor's official campaign launch in Brisbane this afternoon, which he says will present a fiscally responsible challenge to the Coaltion's $9.4 billion re-election platform launched on Monday.
He is expected to unveil details of a $500 million renewable energy fund, and further elements of his so called "education revolution", livenews.com.au reports.
"Labor will be putting forward a responsible set of commitments to build prosperity and job creation beyond the mining boom," Shadow Treasurer Wayne Swan said.
"But most particularly we'll be putting forward a range of policies that put downward pressure on inflation and downward pressure on interest rates."
In the meantime, read Christian Kerr's advice for Rudd here.
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