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Tony Abbott sets three tests for new PM Julia Gillard

Posted on February 14, 2012 by admin

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ANALYSIS: The The Sydney Morning Herald ‘s Political Editor Peter Hartcher comments on where Kevin Rudd went wrong and how Julia Gillard can avoid the same mistakes.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has set three tests for new Prime Minister Julia Gillard – ending uncertainty over the mining tax, resolving the asylum seekers issue and suspending the troubled school building program.

Ms Gillard will hold her first cabinet meeting today after toppling Kevin Rudd yesterday.

“For a few days there will be tremendous excitement and that’s as it should be,” Mr Abbott told the Nine Network this morning.

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“But then people will say, what’s really changed, what’s really different, can she fix our problems?

“I don’t believe that she can stop the boats, I don’t think she’s got the guts to accept she was wrong and end the school hall rip-offs and I certainly don’t think she can fix the mining tax.”

Treasurer Wayne Swan, now Deputy Prime Minister, said Ms Gillard had “very good rapport” with the community.

While the leadership coup was orchestrated by factional figures, Mr Swan said the mood for change was spread broadly throughout caucus.

“It was certainly swift but it was broadly based … right across the parliamentary party,” he said.

Ms Gillard was no puppet, Mr Swan said.

“I think the public is acutely aware that Julia Gillard is a very independent person,” he said.

“She is fiercely independent, she has her own mind, she makes her own decisions and I think she took her decision in the national interest.”

Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek said there were mixed feelings inside the Labor caucus about the tumultuous events of yesterday.

“At the end of the day, however much human sympathy we have for people the country has to be governed,” she told the Seven Network’s Sunrise program today.

Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce said the Labor factions were wholly responsible for Ms Gillard’s rise.

“This goes to show that this infection of these faceless people has now come from Sydney down to Canberra,” he told ABC Television.

“One of the greatest benefactors of that, obviously, is the new Prime Minister.

“She’s there by reason of a factional deal and I don’t believe for one moment that this wasn’t planned over a number of weeks.”

The Nationals were concerned Ms Gillard had no connection to regional Australia, Senator Joyce said.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon says he is keen to meet Ms Gillard more frequently than the two meetings he had with Mr Rudd.

The anti-pokies campaigner says there is a lot more the government could do on gaming and he hopes Ms Gillard will discuss the issue with him.

Senator Xenophon, who shares the balance of power with six other crossbenchers in the upper house, believes a federal election could be held as early as August or mid-October.

It was later pointed out to Mr Swan that the previous two treasurers to serve as deputy prime minister – Paul Keating and Peter Costello – both aspired to the top job.

Mr Swan said the pattern ended there.

“No I don’t, and I have no ambition to do so,” he told ABC Radio.

Financial Services Minister Chris Bowen denied the move to oust Mr Rudd began before Wednesday.

Mr Bowen told ABC Radio discussions about a leadership challenge began on Wednesday, and he wasn’t aware what role right-wing powerbroker Bill Shorten played.

“As far as the cabinet and the caucus were concerned, we were remaining on track with the former prime minister,” he told ABC Radio today.

“The day before yesterday soundings were taken and the decision was taken to challenge.”

Factions alone couldn’t decide the leadership, Mr Bowen said.

“Faction leaders can’t simply decide that they’re going to make a change,” he said.

“They have to have the views of the caucus behind them and in this case the caucus overwhelmingly had a view that a change was required.”

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said Thursday had been a very difficult day.

“For many people this is like your parents getting divorced,” she told ABC Radio in Melbourne this morning.

Ms Roxon said she was close to both the former prime minister and the newly minted Ms Gillard.

“But as Julia has said, the time came to make a decision about whether we needed to change direction on some issues,” she said.

“This is an opportunity to change in some areas where we were getting off track.”

AAP

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Decision to quarantine Katter cash angers ministers

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

“Rudd and Swan … believe in building things” … Bob Katter. Photo: Glenn Hunt

CABINET ministers scratching for savings to meet the government’s pledge to return the budget to surplus have been angered by a decision to quarantine hundreds of millions of dollars for a pet project of the colourful Queensland independent Bob Katter that is not yet economically viable.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, promised $335 million to the CopperString power project, in which Mr Katter’s brother-in-law has a large financial interest, during negotiations to form government. She stuck by the pledge even when Mr Katter did not support Labor.

The Herald understands the money promised to CopperString will be quarantined, remaining in the budget for CopperString or another north Queensland power transmission project.

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It will not be moved to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, where funding decisions will be made by an independent board.

But industry experts doubt the viability of CopperString after its largest potential customer, Xstrata, chose to source power from a local generator and the Queensland government-owned Ergon Energy also entered a power purchase agreement with the rival.

Ministers forced to find difficult savings during the gruelling budget process have questioned why money for an unviable project that does not appear to be proceeding should be protected.

Mr Katter’s position is particularly sensitive because he has been touted as a crossbencher who could support Labor if Kevin Rudd were to return as leader. He said Mr Rudd is a ”friend” and a ”mate” and ”a lot of Kevin’s thinking would be similar to my thinking”.

But he is also close to the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, telling the Herald he believed the government would honour its commitment to CopperString because ”both Rudd and Swan are out of Queensland and they believe in building things”.

A 2010 report by Rod Sims, then of Port Jackson Partners, found there was a compelling economic case to create a ”clean energy corridor” between Townsville and Mount Isa, but recommended it be left to energy users to decide whether they wanted to use the new transmission line or locally generated power.

CopperString is half-owned by the construction company Leightons and the development company CuString.

CuString is 95 per cent owned by John O’Brien, Mr Katter’s brother-in-law, and 5 per cent owned by Mr O’Brien’s son Joseph.

The Gillard government says it is in talks with the Queensland government about the development.

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Katter’s power plan still on table

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

Waiting… Queensland independent MP Bob Katter could pocket a $335 million government grant for his CopperString power project. Photo: Domino Postiglione

THE Gillard government is keeping open the prospect of a $335 million grant for Queensland independent Bob Katter’s CopperString power project, even though it has failed a key requirement for the funding.

Despite Mr Katter not backing Labor to form government after the 2010 election, the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, still promised him, in writing, up to $335 million for the project, provided major north Queensland energy customers chose to use it.

But last October, Xstrata chose a rival consortium to power its Mt Isa operations and, in December, the Queensland government-owned Ergon Energy also entered a power purchase agreement with a rival.

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Mr Katter said he was scheduled to meet the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, this week on the issue but had already been reassured the ”door was not closed” on the money. ”It is still reserved in the budget,” he said.

Mr Katter is hoping his Australian Party will win enough influence in next month’s Queensland election to resurrect the plan, and wields influence in Canberra because he has hinted he could support a government led by Kevin Rudd.

Mr Katter’s brother-in-law is a key player in CopperString Pty Ltd, which is planning to build the $1.5 billion transmission link between Townsville and Mt Isa.

CopperString is half-owned by the construction contractor Leighton and CuString Pty Ltd. CuString is 95 per cent owned by John O’Brien, who is married to Katter’s sister, Geraldine. The remaining 5 per cent is held by Mr O’Brien’s son, Joseph – Bob Katter’s nephew.

A spokesman for the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said the government’s ”commitment to securing north Queensland’s energy supply remains a priority … that’s why we have been working with the Queensland government, the CopperString consortium and other parties to open up these opportunities.”

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Gillard backers fear seismic shift in support for PM

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

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  The storm clouds in Canberra hovering over Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s leadership manifested in physical form today with the annual Prime Minister’s XI cricket match set to be cancelled due to rain.
  
  Ms Gillard was battered for a fourth day by mounting speculation that her hold on the Labor leadership was slipping.
  
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  Leadership struggle … Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd appear to be at odds. Photo: Andrew Meares
  
  A senior Labor source told Fairfax Media this week there had been a seismic shift in support away from Ms Gillard over the summer break with a portion of the backbench now backing former prime minister Kevin Rudd in the event of a leadership spill.
  
  The Gillard government failed to make up ground in the first Newspoll of the year, with its primary vote flatlining on 30 per cent and Ms Gillard ceding ground to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister – though she still leads by a narrow margin of 3 percentage points.
  
  The next Fairfax/Nielsen poll – to be published on Monday – will come the day after Ms Gillard hosts her MPs at The Lodge on Sunday night. Parliament resumes on Tuesday.
  
  A supporter of Ms Gillard said all eyes would be on the poll and that “we are praying for the high 30s”.
  
  “It is pretty dire when the best you can expect is well below 40 per cent but there you have it,” the MP said. “If it dips back into the 20s then we have a real problem. Julia will have a real problem on her hands.”
  
  After campaigning at high profile events for Labor candidates standing in the Queensland election, Mr Rudd departed for Germany yesterday to attend the Munich Security Conference.
  
  It means he will miss an extraordinary caucus meeting that will be held before the Sunday evening function at The Lodge.
  
  Despite predictions by the opposition that Mr Rudd would bring on a challenge to Ms Gillard before the March 24 Queensland election, it is more likely that any confrontation would occur in May, when Parliament returns for the budget sessions.
  
  Parliament does not sit between late March and the May budget session but Rudd supporters were reported today as pointing to the possibility of a move when Parliament is in recess, based on the government’s performance in the first sitting session and the polls.
  
  A report in The Australian Financial Review quoted a Gillard supporter as saying there was now a sense of inevitability over a leadership showdown between Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd.
  
  “It is clear to me that it has got to be brought to a head at some stage,” said an MP who supports Ms Gillard. “It can’t keep going the way it is at the moment.”
  
  The Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith – who is considered to be a possible third option in a ballot – said today that Ms Gillard was “doing a good job in tough circumstances”.
  
  Asked if he could rule himself out of the leadership race, Mr Smith told Sky News, “The leadership is not vacant.”
  
  There are signs within the government the ongoing speculation over the Labor leadership is taking its toll.
  
  The Labor powerbroker and Cabinet minister, Bill Shorten, displayed signs of impatience when questioned today about party unrest. When asked whether Ms Gillard should bring the issue to a head and call a vote, Mr Shorten replied with a clipped ”no” while speaking on Fairfax Radio today.
  
  When questioned if he stood by his previous statement that he did not harbour ambitions for the Labor leadership, he replied with a single word: ”yes”.
  
  And quizzed on the sore subject of Mr Rudd – who Mr Shorten helped oust – and whether the Foreign Minister had accepted that he would never be prime minister again, the factional boss said: ”I believe so”.
  
  The Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, lashed out yesterday after an unnamed factional boss, loyal to Ms Gillard, was reported in the Herald as saying Ms Gillard was in trouble.
  
  “I lose patience with people who are talking to journalists and there’s no name attached to it and you wonder who on earth it was,” he said.
  
  Mr Combet pointed to the challenges ahead of the government. “We understand the situation in the polls and the necessity to communicate our agenda successfully to the community and we’ll work very hard to do it.”
  
  The Manufacturing Minister, Kim Carr – who was dumped from his role as Industry Minister in the December reshuffle and is thought to be now firmly in the Rudd camp – ducked questions yesterday over whether Ms Gillard would and should remain leader, saying: “This is stuff that’s driven directly as a result of media speculation.”
  
  The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, said yesterday MPs were “on edge” and “nervous” because the government had taken “some tough policy decisions”.
  
  “People continue to underestimate how tough Julia Gillard is,” he said. “We have had a string of tough decisions through last year: the carbon tax, the mining tax; we have seen the decision around poker machines where we couldn’t get the numbers to get something through, so it is not surprising to see people are a little on edge because we have taken some tough decisions.”
  
  The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, said he believed a move by Mr Rudd was imminent.
  
  “Look, all the signs are there. It is a very, very restless caucus,” Mr Abbott told the Nine Network this morning.
  
  “In the end it’s up to the Labor Party to choose which failed leader it wants to take into the election.”
  
  Mr Abbott said he expected that to happen before the Queensland election campaign got into full swing.
  
  “My instinct is he’ll make a move before the Queensland election because if Kevin is such a miracle worker in Queensland you’d think they’d want him there before the state election.”
  
  Bookies still favour Gillard
  
  Bookmakers have joined the speculation that Mr Rudd will challenge on Ms Gillard sooner rather than later, with one betting agency saying it was a matter of when, not if.
  
  Sportsbet.com.au this morning offered odds of $1.72 that Mr Rudd will challenge Ms Gillard before the end of the month.
  
  The online bookmaker is offering odds of $1.40 that he will challenge by the end of March and $1.20 that he will make a bid for his old job by the end of the year.
  
  “Where there’s smoke there’s fire. The writing seems on the wall that Rudd will try and get back at Gillard and challenge for the leadership of the Labor party – it is a matter of when not if,” said sportsbet.com.au’s Shaun Anderson.
  
  But Sportsbet’s odds show Ms Gillard is still favourite to be the Labor leader at the next election, although Mr Rudd has closed the gap.
  
  Senior minister, and fierce critic of Mr Rudd, Simon Crean is the third-most likely leader, according to the bookmakers’ latest odds.
  
  Labor Leader at next Federal Election (Prices in brackets from Tuesday January 24)
  
  $2.25 Julia Gillard (out from $2.10)$3.00 Kevin Rudd (in from $3.50)$4.50 Simon Crean (steady)$6.50 Stephen Smith (out from $6.00)$9.00 Bill Shorten (out from $8.00)$17 Greg Combet (steady)$67 Wayne Swan (steady)$81 Chris Bowen (steady)$201 Anthony Albanese (out from $151)$201 Nicola Roxon (steady)$251 Kate Ellis (out from $201)$201 Nicola Roxon (steady)$251 Peter Garrett (steady)
  - with Richard Willingham

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Gillard has strong support of caucus: Swan

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

Back in the house ... Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

‘Most of it is just a huge beat-up’ … Treasurer Wayne Swan with Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Photo: AFP

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has the strong support of caucus and media reports of a looming leadership challenge have been fuelled by a few disgruntled individuals, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.

Mr Swan today described much of the media coverage of the economy and supposed leadership tensions as simply bizarre.

He said talk of a leadership challenge was divorced from reality.

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The treasurer said he was taking Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd – who has persistently denied he’s gathering the numbers to mount a challenge – at his word.

“The Prime Minister has the strong support of our caucus. She is someone who is getting things done. That is the overwhelming view of our caucus and I think the overwhelming view of people in the community, as they want us to get on with those big tasks,” Mr Swan told ABC TV.

He said the community has had a gutful of so much of the commentary and speculation.

“Most of it is just a huge beatup. Sure there’s one or two individuals out there who are disgruntled. They are feeding some of these stories,” he said.

“But the great bulk of the coverage that I read is just completely divorced from reality.”

Asked if he would serve in a Rudd government, Mr Swan said he would not respond to speculation.

“I am a loyal member of the Labor party. I love the Labor party and I love my country,” he said.

AAP

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Dear Mr Swan, let’s talk: Tony Abbott

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

Tony Abbott ... "crystal clear".

Tony Abbott … invitation to talk. Photo: Andrew Meares

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has written to acting prime minister Wayne Swan agreeing to a meeting at 1.30pm today between Coalition and government ministers on the border protection impasse.

But the Coalition is only willing to discuss the re-establishment of offshore processing centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea, and has again rejected the government’s Malaysia deal.

Mr Abbott said the Coalition didn’t believe a change in legislation was needed to reopen the centres, but was prepared to work with the Government to progress offshore processing in these two countries “as expeditiously as possible”.

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The Coalition will send its immigration spokesman Scott Morrison and foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop to the meeting, and asked that foreign minister Kevin Rudd also attend.

A spokesman for immigration minister Chris Bowen confirmed Mr Rudd would accompany immigration minister Chris Bowen to the meeting, to be held at 1.30pm in Sydney.

Mr Abbott said in the letter that Mr Swan’s written proposal received yesterday, which ruled out the Coalition’s policy of temporary protection visas, was “disappointing” and had contradicted government statements that it was willing to consider all options.

“However just as you have made it clear you rule out TPVs but want the discussions with the Coalition to proceed, I make it clear we are also willing to meet but note that nothing has changed regarding our position and objections to the Malaysia people swap,” Mr Abbott wrote.

Mr Abbott said the Coalition had received the letter at around 6.30pm, more than an hour after Mr Bowen announced the move in a press conference.

Mr Abbott said on radio this morning: “We are going to sign up on Nauru. I mean, any help they need to do Nauru, we will give them. Now we will urge them introduce temporary protection visas and they don’t need legislation to do that. They can do that with the stroke of a pen. We will urge them to also adopt a policy of turning boats around where it’s safe to do so but we are going to give them full cooperation on any good policy that they put forward.”

Mr Bowen said today that the meeting was about compromises.

“I wish it had happened nine days ago, but… I really do genuinely welcome the fact that it’s going to happen today. The test is whether that meeting is held in good faith, whether the Liberal Party comes to the table in good faith. If we’re going to have a meeting where we lecture each other about the benefits of our policy and the drawbacks of the other side’s policy then there’s no point,” Mr Bowen told ABC.

He said legislative changes were needed to reopen Nauru, and that a detention centre in Nauru on its own would not be a deterrent to asylum seekers making dangerous boat journeys.

“It’s quite clear that we need legislation not only to implement Malaysia, but the Liberal Party would need the same legislation if they were ever wanting to implement Nauru,” Mr Bowen said.

Kirsty Needham is Fairfax’s Immigration Correspondent

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A Dane in the life of Tony Abbott, from Joh to whoa

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

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Royals’ day of Danish promotion

Mary and her prince begin their day in Melbourne with a special message delivered from a little girl.

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A strange giddiness overtakes the otherwise relatively sober when they find themselves in the presence of royalty, but Opposition Leader Tony Abbott quite lost his grip yesterday when welcoming Crown Prince Frederik and Australian’s own royal highness, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

”In the past,” brayed Mr Abbott to a luncheon in honour of the couple in Parliament House, Canberra, ”Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen was probably considered Denmark’s greatest gift to Australia.”

This may have come as a surprise, even to Sir Joh himself were he still alive. The former Queensland premier and steward of what turned out to be one of Australia’s most corrupt state governments was born in New Zealand in 1911 (his parents had emigrated from Denmark).

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The Danish royal couple are greeted by Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Canberra. Photo: Andrew Meares

Abbott plunged on. ”Subsequently, some may have nominated Joern Utzon, the designer of the Opera House, as Denmark’s greatest gift to Australia.” That was more like it, though the unfortunate Utzon came up against the New South Wales Liberal state government of the corrupt Robert Askin.

Utzon packed his bags in 1966, vowing never to return, and was not invited to the official opening in 1973.

The crown prince and the crown princess sat through Mr Abbott’s welcome with remarkable aplomb. They had, after all, been treated already to a gushing introduction by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who spoke of their marriage as ”a modern fairytale”. ”A beautiful young woman meets a handsome prince and they live happily ever after,” Ms Gillard said. Tim Mathieson was nowhere in sight.

Even Ngunnawal indigenous elder Janette Phillips, delivering a welcome to the country, was swept away. Princess Mary, she declared, had given Australian women everywhere fresh hope that ”Prince Charming really could be out there”.

But Mr Abbott outdid all, declaring the former Mary Donaldson’s marriage to Crown Prince Frederik was a pretty good effort for a girl from Taroona High School in Hobart, a rather better achievement, he said, than that of fellow Taroona graduate, the opposition leader in the Senate, Eric Abetz.

Mr Abbott did not mention that Senator Abetz was a gift to Australia from his birthplace in Stuttgart, Germany.

Mr Abbott the fitness fanatic paid special tribute to Prince Frederik for his ”remarkable distinction of running a marathon in three hours and 22 minutes”.

”Many of us in this building would wish to emulate that feat, sir,” said Mr Abbott, whose best time is 3:47 – although his most recent effort took almost five hours.

The crown prince could not quite help himself when he rose to accept the accolades. He pointed out it was actually three hours and six minutes, and he had done it six times.

The prince then treated guests – and Mr Abbott, a climate change sceptic – to a gentle lecture about the need to face up to a future where population growth and climate change were the great challenges. Denmark, through research and development, carbon pricing and the introduction of alternative energy sources, had become one of the most energy-efficient nations in the world, he said. There had been no growth in power consumption while its population had ballooned, and it had reduced carbon emissions by 15 per cent since 1990.

He was too elegant to add, though he could have, surely: ”Take that!”

Follow the National Times on Twitter: @NationalTimesAU

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Don’t give Gillard any free kicks, says Abbott

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

Opposition leader Tony Abbott says the prime minister is "playing the sexism card because she sees the end game coming."

Opposition leader Tony Abbott says the prime minister is “playing the sexism card because she sees the end game coming.” Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Tony Abbott has told his MPs that only Coalition ill-discipline can save Labor and Julia Gillard, urging his side to avoid unnecessary fights over principle.

Addressing his party room as Parliament resumed for the year, Mr Abbott cited internal divisions over the Murray-Darling Basin and subsidies for the automotive industry as examples.

”The fight you have over $500 million here and 1000 gigalitres is the type of fight you have in government,” sources quoted Mr Abbott as saying.

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”In opposition we can’t fix these things so don’t get bogged down in them.”

With Ms Gillard’s leadership under strain and the Greens claiming she is a victim of misogyny, Mr Abbott told his MPs and senators the Prime Minister was ”playing the sexism card because she sees the end game coming”.

”The only thing that can save this government is a disorganised opposition,” he said.

There are geographical differences in the Coalition about the plan to save the Murray-Darling Basin concerning the competing needs of irrigators and the river.

Last month, the Herald reported a split in the Coalition over its policy position to axe $500 million from the present round of automotive subsidies.

As Mr Abbott delivered his message, a fresh bout of confusion erupted in the Coalition about its claims concerning when it would return the budget to surplus, if elected.

The government has promised a surplus next financial year and the Coalition has always said that if it were in government, it would achieve a surplus by the same time, if not sooner.

But on Monday, the opposition finance spokesman, Andrew Robb, walked away from the commitment, saying there may not be a surplus in the first term of a Coalition government, given the uncertainty about the budget numbers.

The opposition frontbencher Christopher Pyne then said the Coalition would be in a better position to say when it could deliver a surplus once in power.

The shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey attempted to mop up yesterday, saying the Coalition would return the budget to surplus ”as soon as possible”.

”When we see the final numbers that are released by the Treasury during the election campaign, we will base all our figures on that and you’ll see in full detail what our numbers will look like,” he said.

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, leapt on the confusion, calling it a ”slapstick farce”.

Needing to find billions in savings, the Coalition has been lowering expectations of what it could afford in a first term.

Last week, Mr Abbott outlined policy ”aspirations” rather than promises.

In a bid to shake off the poor start to the year for the government, Ms Gillard has declared the resumption of Parliament as the start of a year-long debate on the economy.

”[It] will define who you stand for, who you stand with and who you seek to benefit,” she told Parliament.

In the wake of this week’s Herald/Nielsen poll, which showed a spike in support for both Ms Gillard and the government, the chatter about a leadership push by Kevin Rudd subsided yesterday.

Labor strategists attributed the poll boost to the government focusing in recent weeks on the automotive industry and its subsidising of the industry to keep it viable.

Follow the National Times on Twitter: @NationalTimesAU

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Tony Abbott says it’s time to move on after ‘unfortunate’ comment

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

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Abbott defends ‘shit happens’ comment

Tony Abbott interviewed by 2GB’s Alan Jones over his comment on the firefight that killed Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney.

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Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says it’s time to move on from his comments about the death of a soldier in Afghanistan, out of respect for the soldier’s widow.

“Subsequent to the broadcast last night I had a conversation with Mrs Becky MacKinney and she subsequently put out a statement and I just think the matter should rest there out of respect to her,” Mr Abbott told Macquarie Radio today.

“Out of respect to Becky MacKinney I think we should all move on.”

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REPORTER ASKS QUESTION, ABBOTT LOSES IT

It was “an unfortunate incident”, Mr Abbott added.

Mr Abbott became embroiled in controversy yesterday after the Seven Network aired footage of him discussing the circumstances that led to the death of Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney in Afghanistan last year.

Visiting Tarin Kowt in October, Mr Abbott in a conversation with the US commander of coalition forces in Oruzgan province Colonel Jim Creighton and some Australian soldiers, said: “It’s pretty obvious that, well, sometimes shit happens, doesn’t it?”

One of the soldiers then says: “It certainly does, yeah.” Those comments were not broadcast in the initial report on Seven.

Speaking about the Seven Network’s coverage of his comments, Mr Abbott said: “A lot of people would have seen that broadcast. They’ll make their own decision about what TV channels choose to broadcast.”

On his refusal to answer some of Seven reporter Mark Riley’s questions on the issue, the Opposition Leader said: “As a general principle I think as dignified a silence as you can muster is sometimes the best response.”

Mrs MacKinney has thanked Mr Abbott for calling her to discuss the issue.

“Tony and I spoke at length and I fully accept that he was quoted out of context in the television news,” she said in a statement last night.

“As far as we, Jared’s family, are concerned there is no issue, the matter is over, and we will be making no further comment.”

Lance Corporal MacKinney’s father Ian MacKinney has said that Mr Abbott’s comments to officers were out of line and made him “feel sick”.

Senior opposition frontbencher Andrew Robb said Mr Abbott’s comments were a very human reaction to an unavoidable tragedy.

“It was a serious attempt in the vernacular … saying to them in a way to console them, these things happen and don’t beat yourselves up,” Mr Robb told ABC Radio.

AAP

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Gillard’s hold: Labor MPs nervous, says minister

Posted on February 10, 2012 by admin

Likes his sport ... Stephen Conroy.

Stephen Conroy … said questions over the Labor leadership were due to the government making hard decisions. Photo: Andrew Meares

Labor frontbencher Stephen Conroy has confirmed Labor MPs are nervous as senior government ministers rallied for the third day around the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who is reported to be losing her grasp on the leadership.

A key factional backer of Ms Gillard was reported by Fairfax Media today as saying the Prime Minister had lost the support of a substantial number of MPs over the parliamentary break.

The senior factional boss said “there’s been quite a shift over summer” and “she’s in trouble”.

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The report comes after a turbulent week for Labor in which former leader Simon Crean labelled the former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, as a “prima donna”, who was not a team player.

Responding to Mr Crean’s comments – which included an admonition to drop any plans to return to the leadership – Mr Rudd said yesterday he was “proud to be a member of this ministerial team, which is very strong, very dedicated, very hard-working and in which Simon himself plays a very positive role”.

Senator Conroy said questions over the Labor leadership were due to the government making “the hard decisions” in its policy agenda.

He said Ms Gillard had the full support of the party but also said there was a level of unrest among the Labor backbench.

“We’ve been taking hard decisions,” he said. “Some popular and some unpopular and we are going through some challenging times. [These are] decisions which will cause some people to be nervous.”

The Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, said he was tired of political sources leaking to journalists.

“We’ve got a huge job to do and I focus on my job and I think all of my colleagues do their best to focus on theirs,” Mr Combet told ABC Radio this morning.

“I lose patience with people who are talking to journalists and there’s no name attached to it and you wonder who on earth it was.”

Ms Gillard’s deputy, the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, tried to hose down the leadership speculation before attending a prayer service to mark the first anniversary of cyclone Yasi hitting Queensland.

“[Ms Gillard's] got strong support because she is a really strong leader,” he said. “She’s demonstrated that time and time again.”

He said Labor was unified as a team and that Mr Rudd was “the Foreign Minister doing a good job”.

“I’m out there all of the time, I’m working with all our other ministers,” he said. “We’ve got a good team.”

Labor backbencher Andrew Leigh said constant leadership speculation was of no interest to the public except “a small tight political coterie who are constantly engaged in gossip mongering”.

“Of course I’ve got strong support for the Prime Minister and I think the Foreign Minister is doing a terrific job,” he said.

“But I just don’t think they’re the top issues of the morning.”

Liberal backbencher Kelly O’Dwyer likened the situation to a hostage crisis, saying Australia was beholden to a siege of its political leaders.

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