Australians in revolt over Gillard's carbon tax plans

Jul 18, 2011, 3:11 GMT

Sydney - Prime Minister Julia Gillard pledged Monday to remain the leader of Australia's Labor Party and bring in a carbon tax in July 2012 despite 'diabolical' opinion polling pointing to a wipe-out in the 2012 parliamentary elections.

'I've well and truly got the courage of my conviction, and I'll be out there providing the leadership necessary as we tackle this big reform,' Gillard said.

Australia's first female prime minister was commenting on the ruling party's worst-ever opinion polling and speculation it would foment a challenge to her leadership.

In a poll commissioned by The Sydney Morning Herald, support for Labor is at 26 per cent and Gillard's approval rating is one-third of voters.

The opposition Liberal Party has opened up a lead of 11 percentage points over Labor since the dead-heat parliamentary election in August, which led to the formation of Gillard's minority government.

The poll showed 56 per cent were against the carbon tax announced a week ago.

More than half believed Gillard should call an election on the issue because she promised there would be no carbon tax six days before they last voted.

'People are entitled to be angry because they've been ripped off,' Liberal leader Tony Abbott said. 'This is a prime minister who said one thing before the election and is now doing something totally different.'

Abbott has vowed to scrap the carbon tax if the conservatives win government at the next election.

John Stirton, who undertook the polling for the Herald, said Labor's numbers were the worst ever for either of the two major political parties.

'These sorts of numbers are, to be quite honest, diabolical for Labor, and it's going to be hard from here [to get back into contention],' he said.