Abbott launches campaign on Sunday THE coalition formally launches its campaign on Sunday while Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has effectively suspended his. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will be in Brisbane along with many of his colleagues for the official coalition campaign launch. Among the guests at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre event are expected to be former prime minister John Howard and Queensland Premier Campbell Newman. Meanwhile, Mr Rudd will start the day in Canberra where he has been getting intelligence briefings on the worsening civil war in Syria. With reports the US is preparing for a cruise missile attack on Syrian government forces, Mr Rudd called a temporary halt to his election campaigning. He will appear on the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday morning. Mr Abbott and deputy Julie Bishop are expected to get briefings on Syria after their campaign launch.