Greg Sheridan identifies the key problem with this election

Both Gillard and Abbott are deficient in similar ways as national leaders. Both are running as opposition leaders against the Rudd government, a bizarre position for Gillard, who now seems exempt from all responsibility for the fiascos of the past three years.

But the matching lacuna in Gillard and Abbott is a lack of exposure either to mainstream economic management or national security.

Gillard, in government and opposition, has never held either a mainstream economic management portfolio, or a national security or foreign affairs portfolio. The same is true of Abbott. Both have had experience in industrial relations, which has economic consequences but is not about mainstream macro-economic management. Yet economic management and national security are the two core tasks of government. Neither Gillard nor Abbott shows much evidence of having given profound thought to either issue.

via www.theaustralian.com.au