John Howard returns to campaign trail to help Tony Abbott combat Kevin Rudd's return as Prime Minister Former Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, will return to the campaign trail to assist Tony Abbott combat the return of Kevin Rudd. JOHN HOWARD will formally campaign with Tony Abbott in Melbourne tomorrow in an attempt to take the shine off Kevin Rudd's return to the Labor leadership. Mr Howard's spokesman told News Limited the former prime minister would be at an election rally with the Opposition Leader at the Melbourne Showground tomorrow morning. "In light of this week's events it will be a pretty good rally to be at," the spokesman said. Mr Howard will introduce Mr Abbott to the rally and will give a US-style presidential campaign speech. Around 2000 people are expected to attend the rally and it will be similar to one held in Western Sydney earlier in the year. It will be the first time Mr Howard is out on the husking's trail with Mr Abbott since the 2010 election. The former Prime Minister, who served for 11-years and was knocked off by the Rudd-slide in 2007, has done some fundraising events for the Coalition's campaign but nothing as public as tomorrow's rally. Mr Abbott is considered a prodigy of Mr Howard and served in his cabinet as a senior minister. Mr Howard will likely directly address the pitfalls of a Kevin Rudd return. It is understood Mr Howard has been approached by numerous Coalition candidates for him to join them on the election campaign. The former prime minister will have a much bigger presence in the campaign this time around. Mr Howard and Mr Abbott will be at the rally from 11am to midday tomorrow. The rally will officially launch the Victorian federal Liberal campaign. "This has been planned for some time now," the spokesman said. News of Mr Howard's attendance at the rally comes as a the first polling following Wednesday's leadership coup has delivered a bounce for Labor. The Seven Network poll shows the ALP two-party-preferred up twelve points to 48 per cent. It is just slightly behind the Coalition's 52 per cent. Labor's primary vote was up nine points to 38 per cent - a potentially election winning position. On the question of who would be a better prime minister Mr Rudd leads Mr Abbott 52 to 48 per cent. Outgoing Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce this morning took a swipe at Kevin Rudd saying "the ego has landed" and the Labor party would eventually return to chaos under his leadership. Senator Joyce, who is leaving the Senate to run as a candidate in Tony Windsor's lower house electorate of New England, said Mr Rudd would be "kissing babies within an inch of their lives" over coming weeks but that people would soon remember he's "that crazy bloke." "He will go through the process of trying to kiss the babies within an inch of their lives ... he will break from time to time into mandarin to show us all what a clever fellow he really is," Senator Joyce told Sky News. But people will start to remember - that's right I remember you - you're that crazy bloke. He says he wants a new spirit of kindness and transperancy whilst he is standing knee deep in the political carcasses of all his colleagues - they are all around him. Mr Rudd is expected to hold a media conference around midday today to reveal at least some of his key ministry appointments. It will be the first time Mr Rudd takes questions from the media following the leadership coup.