Australia election set for neck-and-neck finish

SYDNEY - Support for Australia's government has fallen sharply, polls show, making the Aug 21 election likely to be decided by marginal seats where voters are focused on the divisive issues of a mining tax, the climate and immigration.

The ruling Labor party and the conservative opposition are now even in support with only three weeks left in the campaign, a Newspoll survey in the Australian newspaper showed on Monday.

"I wake up some days and go, 'Let's fire up, let's get more determined', and that's what I've done today," Prime Minister Julia Gillard told Sydney radio after waking to the headline "Poll at 50:50".