Federal Parliament has erupted with accusations of smear politics and dirty tactics, highlighting what may be in store for the election campaign.
The Government reacted angrily to Labor questions about the source of a story on Kevin Rudd's heart surgery.
Prime Minister John Howard suggested the leak came from the Labor Party to deflect from the Opposition Leader's gaffe on tax rates.
"If I were a suspicious person, I would say to myself 'well I don't think that story's come from our side of politics, I think that story may have come from another side of politics'," he said.
"You know, I'm not normally a suspicious person, but I may well have thought that, Mr Speaker."
Treasurer Peter Costello also stepped up the attack on the Labor leader.
"To actually be hiding behind this saintly image, when you're prepared to have other people go out and do your dirty work for you, actually makes the fraud worse," he said.
But Mr Rudd says he was approached to comment on the story, before his press conference yesterday morning.
"What is remarkable here is the feigned indignation, from those opposite, about where this material came from," he said.
Labor is maintaining its claims of a government smear campaign, and deputy leader Julia Gillard thinks it is a sign of things to come.
"We know this is just the start and that there is weeks and weeks of this to come.
MPs have now started leaving Canberra for what is likely to be the last time before the election. © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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