Julia Gillard in her office at Parliament House in Canberra during the interview with Phillip Hudson. Picture: Kym Smith Source: News Limited
"YOU'VE always got to start the year full of optimism that you can take the big prize," said Julia Gillard.
"We've got some fairly big building to do."
The Prime Minister is talking about her footy team, the Western Bulldogs, after they finished in the bottom four this season. Yet her comments could easily apply to her other team - the ALP.
As captain she's taking Labor into an election year facing opinion polls predicting a wipeout but Gillard believes voters will start to see the upside of her most controversial policy, the carbon tax, with jobs and investment for the new clean-energy economy of the future.
Her pitch for re-election is based around big-spending programs for education and disabilities and using the May Budget as a springboard to promote her plan to make Australia a winner in the Asian Century.
"The choice for the election will be a very, very simple one," Gillard said in an interview with the Herald Sun.
"Do people want a government that's got a clear plan for the future, that's got the policies to make that plan happen and to make sure that this country's a place of jobs and opportunity in this century of change? Or do they want to embrace the politics of negativity and no plan?"
It's a version of the line she used successfully against Kevin Rudd. She has a "plan" for the future and her opponent doesn't. Tony Abbott, who this week visited Australian troops in Afghanistan, has been trying to re-work his negative image by promoting "positive plans".
The election will be a battle of the blueprints.
With the Coalition saying it will not adopt the education changes proposed in the Gonski review, Gillard intends to make this "one of the biggest issues that the 2013 election is fought on" and cast herself as every child's champion.
"Do you genuinely believe every child should get a chance ... and we'll be the only ones with plans to make a difference."
Gillard calls this a "crusade" but what is still lacking is the detail, especially where the money's coming from in a Budget where the wafer-thin surplus is vanishing fast.
It's the same question for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Gillard will have to spell out the answers before election day.
The PM today begins a short holiday and will spend Christmas with partner Tim Mathieson and mother and sister in Adelaide - the first without her dear dad, who died earlier this year. Like many other families coping with grief this Christmas, it will be a tough one.
While she may get some time to read or watch the cricket, her mind will never stray far from the looming election.
The carbon tax, leadership, controversies surrounding Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper and questions about her past as a lawyer 17 years ago have dogged Gillard in 2012, and raised questions about her judgment and performance, but she never once thought the personal toll was too much.
"I'm a resilient person. I always understood every day of this year that we were just going to see ferocious, personal, ugly politics from the Opposition, and one of the reasons they do that is to try and wear you down and hurt you. I don't ever let it wear me down and hurt me."
Gillard says the Government has maintained a "careful stewardship of the economy" with good growth and low unemployment that is the envy of many other countries. She is particularly proud of the skills package giving people an entitlement to a training place and the qualification that will make a difference to their long-term job prospects and earnings.
"This has been a year when we've got some very big things done that matter to the nation's future," the PM said.
She divides the carbon tax into the pre-July 1 scare campaign and the post-July 1 reality after it was introduced.
Abbott says the election will be a referendum on the carbon tax. Gillard believes not only was the scare campaign over-done, but carbon pricing will turn in Labor's favour.
"What they'll increasingly see is the upside of our nation getting into renewables, into clean energy, being in the businesses, having the jobs and opportunity that are going to be a feature of this century and a feature of our world," Gillard said.
She also nominates the aged care reforms as a feature of the year, reflecting that she has first-hand experience of the ageing population.
"I know what it's like to see your parents age, obviously after the year I've lived through personally, and I know what it's like to struggle for options and choices for them when they do. We've made a big difference to that."
On January 16, Gillard will overtake Rudd's two years, six months and 21 days in office.
Some Labor MPs are still convinced he is Labor's only option for victory despite Gillard thrashing him, 71-31, in the February ballot.
Various "deadlines" suggesting a new move against Gillard have come and gone. The leadership issue was considered settled when Labor clawed its way to be 50-50 with the Coalition twice in Newspoll, although ALP hard-heads don't think the position is that good.
The recent tumble in support has re-ignited chatter about a move next year, although Gillard's supporters believe her strong polling among women, particularly after the "misogyny speech" in Parliament, will be important in the election.
For her part, Gillard hangs on to Rudd's statement after he lost the ballot that there would not be another challenge.
"It was done and dusted in February and that's it, full stop," she said.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the death of Jill Meagher in Brunswick was a heartbreaking tragedy. Picture: Kym Smith Source: Herald Sun
Meagher killing awoke out 'deepest fears'
JULIA Gillard has spoken for the first time about the death of Jill Meagher, saying it was ``like an incredibly chilling, horrible movie come to life''.
Ms Gillard said Ms Meagher's alleged murder as she walked home from a Sydney Rd bar in Brunswick was a heartbreaking tragedy.
"It spoke to some people's deepest fears about a loved one not coming home and not knowing what's happened to them. I'm not surprised that it really moved people.
"People actually used that emotion to get out and say something positive about the way in which they want to see our community care for each member, and to send the message that women should be safe when they're doing something pretty simple like having a drink with mates and trying to get home,'' she said.
"I think it spoke to us all on a really deep level, and it was heartwarming to see the response.''
Hard to live a normal life
JULIA Gillard says she only gets the "illusion of shopping" by looking at items online.
She can't browse the stores and she's not allowed to drive, but the PM does try to do "normal things" such as catch a movie with partner Tim Mathieson.
"You can't wander around shopping, but being able to look on the internet and actually see things has probably made it easier for me than prime ministers in the past," she said.
Last Sunday she saw the latest James Bond film Skyfall, albeit with security. "You don't get to drive. I can well and truly understand why former prime minister Howard ended up having driving lessons at the end of his prime ministership."
phillip.hudson@news.com.au
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