FIVE people have been taken to hospital after a truck hit a train in southwest Victoria.
The truck clipped the back of the train at Freshwater Creek near Geelong at about 9.30am (AEST) Saturday, police say.
Four people were taken to hospital for observation and a fifth with minor injuries, police said.
The cause of the crash is being investigated and the truck driver, who was uninjured, is assisting police with their inquiries.
Former treasurer Wayne Swan isn't overly confident of holding onto his north Brisbane seat. Source: AAP
WAYNE Swan isn't overly confident of holding onto his north Brisbane seat.
The former federal treasurer says he's energised but realistic that the electorate of Lilley can swing.
Mr Swan lost Lilley in 1996, only to regain it in the 1998 election.
At noon, he strolled across the road from his Kedron home of 30 years to vote at the local school.
In tow were his children Lab and Matt, the latter a first time voter.
Politicking to the end, Mr Swan talked up the Labor's disability care scheme and the NBN before pointing out the school hall they would vote in was built by the Labor government during the global financial crisis.
"We're really proud, he works really hard for Lilley," daughter Lab said.
Mr Swan believes voters made up their minds long ago and thinks Lilley, which he holds by a marginal 3.2 per cent, could go down to preferences.
"Elections aren't won or lost on the last day, the last week or the last month: in many ways they are decided much earlier than that," he said.
"What you've done in the previous three years is more important."
A voter calling herself Lauren said that she appreciates what Mr Swan has done for the school, where her children are educated, and the local community.
"And I like his persona," she said.
"I am disappointed in the Labor party, but he is one member that I would still be committed to."
Small business owner Ken said he was voting for change.
"I don't think we'll survive without it," he told AAP.
"We need to see money going back into small business. It's really suffering and everyone I talk to is the same."
Local man Michael wanted to see Mr Swan pay for broken budget promises.
"He's done his dash, it's been a long dash," he told AAP.
Kevin Rudd faced a hostile reception from refugee advocates as he cast his vote in Brisbane. Source: AAP
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd faced a hostile reception from refugee advocates as he arrived to cast his vote in east Brisbane.
Mr Rudd got out of his car at St Paul's Anglican Church with wife Therese Rein and, holding up one of his own how-to-vote cards, joked about getting her to vote for the man in the picture - him.
The prime minister, who if the polls are right is set to be removed from government on Saturday night, was set to vote early in the morning but changed his mind in order to do last-minute interviews and campaigning.
But the move backfired when protesters upset about the federal government's so-called Papua New Guinea Solution on asylum seekers hurled abuse at Mr Rudd as he walked to the booths.
Then an Australian Electoral Commission official told the media they weren't allowed to enter the booth to film the prime minister casting his vote because they weren't accredited.
After a brief delay while officials made inquiries, reporters were allowed to enter.
MARRIAGE equality activists have faced off with a Christian anti-gay group at Sydney's Town Hall steps.
A man with a loudspeaker was joined by several supporters holding signs warning homosexuals and others about Judgment Day, who turned up to a planned marriage equality rally on George Street.
Many of the more than two hundred marriage equality supporters chanted "hey hey ho ho, homophobia has to go" and moved towards the opposing group in a bid to drown out the man with the loudspeaker who continued to preach.
Police on horses patrolled between the two groups as the shouting from both sides became louder.
The area outside Town Hall has been crowded by both groups, blocking access for many pedestrians.
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has demanded the states put more money into TAFE.
And if they don't, the federal government would quarantine some of the commonwealth funding to states and pay it directly to the TAFE system.
Mr Rudd told the Labor campaign launch on Sunday that TAFE was the backbone of the national training system and without the right skills, Australians would not be able to seize the job opportunities of the future.
"Which is why it is worrying to see state governments making TAFE cuts and jacking up fees," he said in Brisbane.
"We have seen this in Victoria, WA and Queensland where we see TAFEs starting to wither on the vine."
Mr Rudd said he would not stand by and continue to hand commonwealth funds to state governments to run TAFE colleges while those governments cut their own TAFE funding.
A re-elected Labor government would require state governments to maintain and increase TAFE funding.
If those conditions were not met by July 1 next year, the federal government would move to provide Commonwealth funding directly to individual TAFE colleges.
"If state governments frustrate this ambition, then from 2015 the Australian government will begin directing its own TAFE funding into a new TAFE Australia Network directly funded by the commonwealth," he said.
The commonwealth would develop individual funding relationships with each TAFE institution, which would reflect the training needs of communities and industries they served.
Crucially, that would bring commonwealth funding of universities and TAFEs into line, Mr Rudd said.
He said the commonwealth's annual funding to states and territories for skills and training amounted to $7 billion over the budget cycle.
Kevin Rudd will offer small businesses a tax deduction sweetener of up to $10,00 for equipment. Source: AAP
KEVIN Rudd came out swinging with less than a week to go in the election campaign, using Labor's official campaign launch to rev up the party faithful.
Opinion polls may be pointing to a Tony Abbott-led coalition win on September 7, but the prime minister isn't giving up, saying Labor can prevail.
"To those who say that Mr Abbott has already won this election, I say this - never, ever, ever underestimate the fighting spirit of the Australian Labor Party," Mr Rudd told a packed audience in Brisbane on Sunday.
"Never, ever, ever underestimate my fighting spirit as your prime minister."
He assured them he's been in tougher spots before and come back from behind.
He says he'll be fighting for the jobs of Australians until the last vote is cast on Saturday night.
"I believe we can prevail and I believe in the end we will prevail," he said to roars of approval from the audience.
Mr Rudd contrasted Labor's "positive vision" for the future, to the coalition's focus, which he said looked to the past.
He said he'd never seen a decent reform that the conservatives haven't set out to destroy, whereas for all Labor's faults, it had a go at building a better Australia.
"Yes, that means we don't always get it right. Yes, that means we have made mistakes."
He said Mr Abbott's cuts risked throwing the entire economy into recession in fragile global economic times and reminded the party faithful that Labor kept the economy strong through the Global Financial Crisis.
To help manage the next great economic transition, Labor would give small business a cash flow boost from next weekend, through an upfront tax deduction when they buy new equipment worth up to $10,000, bringing this and other recently announced measures to more than $5.4 billion.
At the same time, Labor would legislate to ensure multinational business projects worth $300 million or more use a greater number of Australian suppliers than skills, which is expected to generate up to $624 million in extra work for Australian industry and jobs every year.
Labor will also increase the Tools for Your Trade payment to 70,000 apprentices to $6000 to help buy their first set of tools, in contrast to Mr Abbott who is offering a $20,000 loan to "hang over your head" before even getting started.
The prime minister is also demanding states maintain and grow their funding to TAFE, or else his government would move to fund the colleges directly.
Mr Rudd was introduced by his wife Therese Rein, who painted a personal picture of her husband and said he was a man who governs for all Australians.
"He believes that dignity belongs to all, not just to some," she said.
Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opened the proceedings, saying Mr Abbott was no John Howard.
Mr Abbott sits in parliament saying "no, no, no", Mr Albanese said.
"If you want a bloke who can jump through tyres, vote for Tony Abbott, but if you want a bloke who can get you through the next global financial crisis, vote for Kevin Rudd," he said.
