Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has waved off criticism from Reserve Bank board member and Fairfax Media chairman Roger Corbett that he has done enormous damage to the Labor party.

“It’s a matter for Mr Corbett. It’s a free country, anyone can say what they like,” Mr Rudd told the Nine Network on Wednesday.

“I notice Mr Corbett has probably done okay in business in recent years, good on him because I’m on about his business succeeding in order to generate jobs for all Australians.”

Corbett, who is a former CEO of Woolworths, on Tuesday night said Labor made a mistake in switching leaders so late in the election cycle and Rudd’s conduct after he was dumped in 2010 had discredited his own leadership.

“He’s a man that really has done the Labor party enormous damage, destabilised it and is now wishing to present himself to the Australian people as a prime minister,” Corbett told ABC TV on Tuesday.

“I don’t think the Australian people will cop that.”

All the opinion polls are pointing to a decisive coalition victory in Saturday’s election.

Corbett says if that comes to pass, Tony Abbott will make a good prime minister.

“He’s a very sincere, nice type of human being … he’ll be very dedicated, focused in the job,” he said.

“We certainly need, in the economic times we are about to go into, some really clear and good leadership.”

Earlier in the campaign, News Corp’s Australian-born chief Rupert Murdoch came out publicly in support of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Murdoch Tweeted: “Conviction politicians hard to find anywhere. Australia’s Tony Abbott rare exception. Opponent Rudd all over the place convincing nobody.”

Murdoch’s Australian newspapers have been criticised widely for alleged bias against Kevin Rudd.

Fairfax reported today that commercial television stations had rejected an anti-Murdoch commercial from left wing activist group Get Up. Fairfax itself also rejected the commercial.

– with AAP