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February 6th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda 
Julia Gillard has sneered at “fervid” leadership speculation and turned the Government’s focus onto a debate on the economy. Picture: Ray Strange
Source: The Daily Telegraph
JULIA Gillard today sneered at “fervid” leadership speculation and instead turned the Government’s focus onto what she expects to be a marathon debate on the economy.
The Prime Minister pledged to produce jobs as well as a Budget surplus in what she said would be a year dominated by a contest in economic policy between the Government and the Coalition.
Ms Gillard prepared for tomorrow’s first day of Parliament for the year by dismissing leadership speculation as part of her bid to wrench the political agenda back to the task of keeping the economy secure during slumps in Europe and the United States.
“I deal with Kevin Rudd frequently in his capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs,” she told reporters in Canberra.
“On everything else I leave you to your fervid speculation which doesn’t need any facts or any commentary from me for it to continue.”
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And in a message to Labor MPs shaken by unrelentingly bad opinion polls she said: “We have a lot of hard work to do and if we do that hard work I believe we can win the election when it’s held in 2013.”
The Government will have to confront Opposition claims it will have to rip into welfare and essential services to move into the black in May’s 2012-13 Budget.
And Opposition Leader Tony Abbott already is accusing the Government of failing to maintain employment growth.
Julia Gillard today said the Australian economy was growing, despite the weak conditions in Europe and the United States, because we are “in the growth region of the world”.
“What’s the right set of decisions in those circumstances? Well it’s to support a Budget surplus and show fiscal discipline,” she said.
“That’s the right choice for the strength of our economy. And if it’s the right choice for the strength of our economy, then it’s the right choice for jobs.”
Mr Abbott made his own start to the parliamentary year by promising a credible alternative government able to strengthen the economy.
“The Australian people know that we can be so much better than this,” he told reporters.
“They know that we are a great country with a poor government and so the Coalition’s job today, this week, this month, this year, is to demonstrate to the Australian people that we can have better government.”
The Prime Minister’s supporters breathed easier this morning after a Nielsen opinion survey, published in Fairfax newspapers, showed the Government’s primary vote had risen from 29 per cent in December to 33 per cent.
The Coalition’s vote went the other direction, slipping to 45 per cent.
However, allocation of preferences meant the Coalition still would easily win an election, leading Labor 53 per cent to 47 per cent.
The poll also found Ms Gillard had a narrow edge over Mr Abbott as preferred prime minister, 48/46 per cent.
But critically for the leadership debate, Ms Gillard’s personal disapproval rate fell from 58 per cent to a slightly less-toxic 55 per cent.
Mr Abbott’s roughly stayed the same, matching Ms Gillard’s, at 54 per cent.
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