▁largely ▁gone . ▁I ▁accept ▁that ." ▁When ▁question ed , ▁Abb ott ▁said ▁he ▁stood ▁by ▁the ▁comments ▁that ▁Work Cho ices ▁means ▁" certain ▁prote ctions " ▁are ▁not ▁what ▁they ▁used ▁to ▁be , ▁but ▁denied ▁conced ing ▁workers ▁had ▁lost ▁prote ctions . ▁He ▁said ▁the ▁video ▁released ▁by ▁Labor ▁was ▁a ▁" cut - and - paste ▁job ". ▁ ▁A ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Aud it ▁Office ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁had ▁been ▁inter fer ing ▁in ▁the ▁$ 3 2 8   mill ion ▁regional ▁gr ants ▁program , ▁with ▁a ▁bias ▁toward ▁their ▁marg inal ▁seats , ▁where ▁projects ▁under ▁the ▁Regional ▁Part ners hips ▁Program ▁were ▁apparently ▁approved ▁without ▁proper ▁assess ment , ▁or ▁none ▁at ▁all , ▁and ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁appro val s ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁election . ▁ ▁Week ▁ 6 ▁see ▁also : ▁Ph otos ▁of ▁pol ling ▁around ▁Australia . ▁ ▁New sp oll ▁stated ▁Labor ' s ▁two - party - pre ferred ▁level ▁was ▁down ▁one ▁point ▁to ▁ 5 4 ▁per ▁cent . ▁Form er ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁campaign ▁director ▁L ynt on ▁C ros by ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁was ▁" clos ing ▁in ▁on ▁Labor " ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁week ▁and ▁could ▁" st ill ▁win ▁a ▁tight ▁election " ▁on ▁a ▁campaign ▁of ▁def ending ▁marg inal ▁seats , ▁declaring ▁a ▁win ▁still ▁possible ▁on ▁ 4 8 . 5 ▁per ▁cent