Gillard has credibility issue: Labor MP

February 4, 2012 - 12:56PM


Tasmanian Labor MP Dick Adams says Prime Minister Julia Gillard has a credibility issue with some voters.

Speculation is continuing that Ms Gillard will be replaced as ALP leader with support reportedly growing for Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd returning to the top job.

Mr Adams, who represents the eastern Tasmanian seat of Lyons, says while the prime minister has support, not all voters are convinced.

"She has a bit of a credibility issue with some of the decisions that she's made," Mr Adams told ABC News 24.

"That's a message for her that she has to get out there that her credibility is sound."

He said the government had not been able to communicate its achievements to the electorate in an effective way.

"I think Cabinet has to take some responsibility for the message delivery and how their leadership is coming through for government and they need to look at themselves in a pretty hard way from that perspective," he said.

"All these things that weren't spent in the last government are being spent by this government to position Australia into the future.

"If you can't get that message out, yeah, somebody's got to take that responsibility and that's got to be done."

Mr Adams was frustrated that parts of the government's message had confused parts of the electorate.

"In general circumstances the economy is good. In those circumstances anywhere in the world the government is then pretty sound.

"I would cite the issues that I encountered when we first started to do the mining tax and people were asking me why we were putting a tax on super and we had a super tax running out there in people's minds."

He believed that the leadership issues were being "blown up" and said nobody has rung him about it.

"I've been around a long time and I've had a lot of calls over the years from people who aspire to leadership. I've had no calls.

"I've had nobody calling me to start making up lists and I don't believe there are lists being made up.

However, he said Labor heavyweights would be looking at the current polling which shows Labor a long way behind the coalition.

"Polling that is being done by the political parties, they're always the polls that you make political decisions about.

"And the machinery of the parties act on those and I'm sure my colleagues in that role will be looking at those and making decisions."

Asked if Ms Gillard had his 100 per cent support, Mr Adams replied that he supported the leader.

"If I change my mind I would tell the prime minister that she doesn't have my support.

"I will support the leader. I don't believe it's time to change the leader."

Caucus members will meet in Canberra on Sunday for a pre-parliament strategy day.

AAP


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/gillard-has-credibility-issue-labor-mp-20120204-1qyh2.html#ixzz1lNIXlaQV