‘Give Gillard a break’ call as pressure on premier grows

Australia’s minority government partners have urged the ruling Labour Party to stop undermining the prime minister’s leadership.

A new poll yesterday found the conservative opposition would easily win an election now, although support for Julia Gillard’s government improved four percentage points in early 2012, despite media reports her leadership was under threat.

The next election is due in the second half of 2013, but speculation has grown over the past week that Ms Gillard could be dumped in favour of the man she toppled in 2010, former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

“If there was a strategy to change leadership at this moment, almost by definition there would have to be a snap election,” said independent Tony Windsor, who, with another independent and the Greens, give Ms Gillard a one-seat majority.

Ms Gillard held a three-hour strategy meeting with party members on Sunday, when she urged MPs to remain disciplined and to promote the government’s policy achievements.

Greens leader Bob Brown said voter support was swinging back to Ms Gillard.

He said: “She is getting a rough time. Quite a bit of the criticism is sexist and unfair and unrelenting. The prime minister needs a bit of a break from that.”