Photo: The poll shows Kevin Rudd remains preferred prime minister, but the gap has narrowed. (AAP)
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The latest election poll has put the Coalition ahead of Labor, as the two leaders take their campaigns to Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
The Fairfax-Nielsen poll shows the Coalition has pulled ahead with 52 per cent against Labor's 48 per cent in the two-party preferred rating, which is a change of two points.
The poll of 1,400 people taken between Tuesday and Thursday this week shows Kevin Rudd remains preferred prime minister on 50 per cent, but the gap has narrowed.
Tony Abbott is on 42 per cent, a rise of 1 per cent, while those who are uncommitted have risen from 5 per cent to 8 per cent.
The poll's margin of error is 2.6 per cent.
Ex-ALP president to chair Abbott's Indigenous advisory council
The Coalition is taking the election campaign to north-east Arnhem Land this morning, where Mr Abbott will announce plans to set up an Indigenous advisory council.
The council would include Indigenous and non-Indigenous representatives that would meet with the prime minister three times a year.
Mr Abbott has already secured a chairman to head the council, former Labor Party national president Warren Mundine.
Last year Mr Mundine decided not to renew his party membership and since then has formed a close friendship with Mr Abbott.
Speaking to the ABC, Mr Mundine says he has been talking about Indigenous affairs with Mr Abbott for years.
"Initially it was Jenny Macklin, the [Labor] Minister who got me to talk to Tony about how we could negotiate some legislation through the Senate back in 2008, and from that position we've had many, many conversations over the years," he said.
"It's come to a meeting of minds about how we need to do this because people know that I'm very much pushing Indigenous improvement through the premise of economic and commercial activities.
"So yeah, he asked me to do this review of Indigenous affairs, I said, 'sure, I'm happy to do that'."
Mr Mundine says he is a fan of Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin's work, but there is one thing missing from the Government's policy.
"That is about commercial activity which creates jobs and gets communities moving ahead, and with the conversation with Tony Abbott this is where I've sort of signed up on," he said.
Parts of remote Australia 'are like Somalia without guns'
The Weekend Australian newspaper has today quoted Mr Abbott as saying parts of remote Australia are "like Somalia without guns".
When asked by the ABC if the description was accurate, Mr Mundine said anyone who has grown up in an Aboriginal community would know of the problems facing communities.
"These communities... we know we are moving ahead in a lot of areas, but we're going at a sprint in reverse in so many other areas. Alcohol management plays a major part," he said.
Mr Mundine says people are living in a "fantasy world" if they pretend there are no issues.
He has also rubbished claims from some former colleagues that he is a Labor rat for working with the Coalition.
"They haven't actually looked at my career, (they're) not actually looking at Indigenous affairs," he said.
"The Labor Party and Coalition have always tried to do a bipartisan approach and work together in resolving these substantial issues within Indigenous communities."
Mr Abbott will announce the Indigenous advisory council during a visit to the Garma annual Indigenous cultural festival.
ALP looks to Tasmania to secure seats
Mr Rudd is expected to take the Government's campaign to Tasmania today, where Labor is fighting to hold onto the seats of Bass and Braddon in the state's north.
It is also hoping to regain Denison from independent MP Andrew Wilkie.
In an unusual step, ALP campaign director George Wright has publicised some of the key marginal seats Labor is targeting.
He recorded a video message for supporters to reveal "our campaign plan" and appealed for more volunteers to help reach out to voters.
"I wanted to take a little bit of time to tell you our plan to win," he said.
"Because let's face it, a lot of the media won't give us a crack."
Mr Wright says Labor is aiming to claim Hasluck and Swan in Perth, Macquarie in western Sydney and a string of seats in central and north Queensland.
He also names Labor seats he considers vulnerable like Hindmarsh in South Australia.
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