Voters: Gillard is lame duck leader

Julia Gillard with deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan at a press conference in Canberra, March 21, 2013.   Source: News Limited

LABOR's leadership fiasco has trashed the office of the Prime Minister, according to a majority of voters who have also declared Julia Gillard a "lame duck" leader.

In the first opinion poll to ask voters' verdict on the wreckage of Kevin Rudd's final leadership tilt, voters have warned the Prime Minister's third leadership battle victory has not legitimised her.

A majority 60 per cent agree she is a "lame duck" in the lead-up to the September 14 election and 71 per cent believe the office of the Prime Minister has been damaged.

But voters are divided over whether an early election is the answer, with support growing to 44 per cent of voters but still short of a majority.

Support for the Labor Party is unchanged at a rock bottom 32 per cent, a result that would see Ms Gillard preside over the lowest primary vote since the 1930s and lose up to 18 seats.

The exclusive Galaxy Poll has found the majority of voters 52 per cent still believe the Labor Party made the wrong decision rejecting Mr Rudd.

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister is likely to announce her second major frontbench reshuffle in just seven weeks after four ministers were sacked or quit over the failed Rudd coup.

The fate of Aged Care Minister Mark Butler still hung in the balance yesterday amid suggestions some senior frontbenchers were cautioning against sacking him.

Gillard backers had been calling for Mr Butler's head with one describing him as "gutless' for not falling on his sword after he was linked to the Rudd camp, but the Prime Minister praised him as an "able minister".

"I'll deal with the ministerial reshuffle in coming days," Ms Gillard said.

Another Rudd backer, Anthony Albanese, also broke his silence over claims he was Mr Rudd's choice as deputy prime minister, acknowledging the former prime minister had been "supportive of my political contribution".

"(But) I have never asked for support as deputy. There was and is no vacancy," Mr Albanese told The Sunday Times.

"I would never run against Wayne Swan."

According to the Galaxy Poll, which included a national sample of 1005 voters and was held over Friday and yesterday, a majority of voters 55 per cent also believe Mr Rudd has been true to his word not to challenge, rather than acting as a prima donna.

In an olive branch to the Prime Minister, Mr Rudd yesterday announced he would campaign with her in Queensland if she wished to deploy his popularity to save the party from a looming electoral massacre.

But the Prime Minister's announcement of a September 14 election date may not be final if some MPs have their way.

With Opposition Leader Tony Abbott planning a no-confidence motion for May 14 that could terminate the Government and force Australians to an early poll, key independents have urged Ms Gillard to lift her game.

"I tell you what, if the Government doesn't start showing some stability and some competency I think it is going to struggle to get the numbers when that motion of no confidence does come up," independent MP Andrew Wilkie said.

Liberal frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull said the Opposition was not asking the independents to hand the Coalition power, but for an early election.

"We are not asking to be made the government," he said. "We are not asking the independents for a baton change. We're just saying let the people decide."

Likely winners from the Cabinet reshuffle are Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare, David Bradbury, Catherine King and the so-called faceless men who counted numbers of the Prime Minister, South Australia's Don Farrell and Victoria's David Feeney. Some suggested veteran Victorian MP Michael Danby may even secure a parliamentary secretary gig.

Despite the resignations of Chris Bowen, Martin Ferguson, Senator Kim Carr, and the sacking of senior minister

Simon Crean, Ms Gillard said she "absolutely" had enough talent at her disposal in deciding the make-up of her new Cabinet.

But she flatly ruled out a return to the front bench for Mr Rudd.

"Mr Rudd some time back made clear that his future is as the member for Griffith," she said. "He verified that as recently as yesterday."

samantha.maiden@news.com.au
 

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