SYDNEY (AFP) -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard Sunday prepared to face his strongest opponent in 11 years in office amid criticism of his decision to hold only one debate ahead of the November 24 poll.

Howard is fighting for political survival against the center-left Labor Party's Kevin Rudd who has taken a commanding lead against the conservative incumbent in opinion polls.
The one-off debate in the six-week campaign is expected to cover the war in Iraq, to which Howard has committed troops and Rudd has promised to withdraw soldiers, as well as climate change.
But the verbal jousting is likely to center on the crucial issue of tax cuts, with Howard promising to deliver 34 billion dollars (30.4 billion U.S.) in cuts against Rudd's offering of 31 billion dollars in sweeteners.
Howard, who this week clawed back some ground in opinion polls which predict him losing in a landslide, has accused Labor's Rudd of copying the government's tax policy.
""I think it is going to be a very interesting debate,"" Howard said on the campaign trail Saturday.
""It will be an unusual debate as there will be only one plan to debate,"" the 68-year-old premier said in reference to the tax proposals.
Treasurer Peter Costello, Howard's likely successor to the Liberal Party leadership, agreed with his boss.
""The coalition has a plan and it's the only plan that's going,"" he told state television Sunday.
But according to Labor Party polling, Howard's decision to hold only one debate ahead of next month's federal election may backfire.
Focus group research found voters felt that Howard, by having just one show-down, was limiting his exposure to risk and reinforcing the sentiment he was 'tricky', 'out-of-touch' and 'desperate', the Sunday Telegraph said.
""The clear feeling of the group was that more than one debate would increase political scrutiny and accountability, with one debate being labeled a 'joke',"" the paper quoted the research as saying.
Rudd, 50, had unsuccessfully argued for a series of debates throughout the six-week campaign as new policies are revealed.
But Howard insisted that only one televised debate be held, a 90-minute argument at Parliament House in Canberra in front of a small crowd of government supporters.
""As the incumbent, he is there basically saying I am going to pick the format of the debate, I am going to pick when it happens,"" Rudd's deputy Julia Gillard said.
The latest polls have Rudd, who needs to win some 16 seats to gain government, ahead of Howard by 54 percent to 46 percent.
But the former diplomat and fluent Mandarin speaker maintains that winning the top job from the man who has won the past four elections would be akin to climbing Mount Everest.
""This will be a really tight race... it will go down to the wire,"" he said Saturday.
The nationally televised debate in the Great Hall of Parliament House is due to begin at 7.30 pm (0930 GMT).