Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott row over campaign debates Opposition Leader Tony Abbott surprises Kevin Rudd at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: Herald Sun A BRAWL has erupted over election debates involving Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott with Labor taunting the Opposition leader over his refusal to immediately step into the ring. In the first stoush between the political rivals, the Opposition leader has refused the Prime Minister's quest for a debate to be moderated by Sky News on Monday night. Mr Rudd issued the debate challenge as he called the September 7 poll in Canberra, daring Mr Abbott to debate him this Sunday evening - and then every Sunday during the campaign. I hope Mr Abbott is as well," the PM told reporters. But the Opposition leader has rejected the Rudd request and instead called for a series of community-style debates - including one to be held at Rooty Hill RSL Club, the site of Julia Gillard's ill-fated foray into western Sydney earlier this year. Labor's national secretary George Wright took to social media to question Mr Abbott's reluctance to immediately go head to head with the Prime Minister, reminding the Liberal leader that he had offered to debate the PM every day - once the poll was called. But the Liberal Party had already drawn up its own wish list - and suggested Mr Abbott and Mr Rudd hold a conventional debate at the National Press Club next Sunday. A panel of journalists would be chosen to pose questions to the two leaders, under Mr Abbott's plan. Mr Abbott also wants a series of community-style debates - similar to the 2010 poll - to allow the leaders to field questions from an audience made up of swinging voters. The Liberal Party believes this is the most important election in a generation. Therefore it is appropriate that a number of forums be held in different formats to allow Australians to ask their own questions directly of the Leaders on the issues that matter most to them," Mr Loughnane said, in a letter to Mr Wright. In a response, an ALP campaign spokesman said: "If you are not ready to debate the Prime Minister, then you are not ready to be Prime Minister." An independent debates commission - which would take the heat out of the election issue - was supposed to have been established in the past few years. But it failed to get off the ground due to a lack of interest from both sides.