It's a modern day version of the three bears, only this time they're polar bears.

It's not who's eaten my porridge, broken my chair, and sleeping in my bed, it's "Please Mr Howard, save our planet ..."

Prime Minister John Howard was greeted by three environmental protesters wearing polar bear costumes on his morning walk in Cairns in Far North Queensland this morning.

As Mr Howard, surrounded by Liberal supporters of Leichhardt candidate Charlie McKillop, took his customary morning hike, the three bears emerged from the bushes carrying placards and baying: "Please Mr Howard save our planet."

The placards read: "Save our Planet", "Ratify Kyoto Now", "Stop Climate Change".

Their argument was that the northern ice cap was melting due to climate change and with it the polar bears' home.

"Shut up," one of Ms McKillop's supporters shouted.

"Go home, you stupid bear."

Mr Howard spent the night in Cairns after a whistle-stop tour of Townsville yesterday where he pledged $10 million for a V8 Supercar facility and $20 million makeover of Townsville's CBD.

He also attacked Labor leader Kevin Rudd for pretending to be an economic conservative during yesterday's official ALP campaign launch in Brisbane.

Mr Rudd refused to match the "irresponsible" $9.4 billion spending spree unveiled by Mr Howard during the Coalition launch on Monday.

Instead Mr Rudd pledged $2.3 billion for education, skills training and climate change initiatives.

Mr Howard accused the Labor leader of being deceitful.

Running an economy was more than just what one announced at a campaign launch, he said.

"That is an insult to the Australian people - it is really juvenile."

Mr Howard has an engagement in Cairns this morning and is expected to leave Queensland later in the day for a yet-to-be-confirmed destination.

AAP