Eden-Monaro Road Trip:
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Brad Corkery is one of thousands of Eden-Monaro sea changers wanting a stable economy.
"Low interest rates are terrific for a young person wanting to buy a house but not good if you want to live off your investments," he said.
Travel the Eden-Monaro electorate and it becomes clear the economy is easily the most important issue of the election.
Even former Labor loyalists from Canberra are willing to put past habits aside for the sake of the economy.
Jennifer Bridge has always voted Labor but says it is time for a change of government.
Like many people her political sentiment changed when she moved permanently from Canberra to the NSW South Coast.
After moving to Moruya a year ago she became more reliant on her retirement savings.
"I can't stand Rudd – I can't stand looking at him on the television," she said.
Retiree Kim Odgers, from Batemans Bay is also seeking economic certainty, will probably vote Labor because he said it had a stronger social conscience.
His backing of Labor would not be hurt by Kevin Rudd's attack on the Liberals' paid parental scheme as taking franking credits away from Australian investors.
But Mr Odgers was still unimpressed by both leaders.
"It's a shame politics has sunk to the level of two average personalities," he said.
"They're focused on short-term goals to suit their own electoral situation." In the words of wife Roz, there are less dividends in the long term every time you sell shares.
After six years of Labor rule, pensioners Max and Gail Smallman, 250km south west at Delegate, had resorted to bartering to avoid federal government bureaucracy.
They own a couple of dozen head of cattle mainly as a hobby. They said every time they sell one for money to keep their numbers low Centrelink reduces their pension by the gross amount they made – with no thought to what it cost to raise each beast.
"I don't charge people money to buy my cows anymore, I barter – they might give some oil or a battery for the tractor," said Mr Smallman, 75, who will vote Liberal as usual.
Mrs Smallman, 64, might swing away from Labor.
