Prime Minister Julia Gillard's push to clear the decks for an election by resolving the mining tax stand-off starts in earnest today when Treasurer Wayne Swan returns from the G20 summit in Canada.

The Opposition is talking up the chances of Ms Gillard calling an early election, after she made minimal changes to her Cabinet yesterday and as Labor continues to show improvement in the polls.

Speaking in response to election speculation today, Ms Gillard would only say that the Government would go to an election in the second half of this year.

Identifying the super profits tax row as her main priority, she told Melbourne ABC Local Radio there is now plenty of goodwill within the industry to reach an agreement.

"I think we can harness that goodwill to get to a solution," she said.

But even before a fresh round of negotiations begins, Ms Gillard's elevation has helped revive her party's prospects in Western Australia.

A poll in today's West Australian newspaper shows Labor may retain all its seats in the state, when a fortnight ago the poll indicated it might lose three.

With opinion polls showing Ms Gillard's elevation is popular with voters, there is speculation that the tax dispute is the only major issue standing in the way of an early election.

Opposition frontbencher Andrew Robb says Ms Gillard opted not to add new blood to the frontbench because she is "hell-bent on going to an early election".

"[She wants to] avoid any serious scrutiny of what plans they would have, and should have, to get rid of $100 billion worth of debt," he said.

He says Ms Gillard is trying to sneak quickly to an election in August to capitalise on a honeymoon period with voters.

And Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey says he expects an election to be called as soon as this weekend, "or the following weekend at the latest".

Speaking today, Ms Gillard said she would have more to say about climate change, an issue that contributed heavily to Kevin Rudd's toppling, in the coming weeks.

Mr Rudd was left out of Ms Gillard's Cabinet reshuffle yesterday despite expressing a desire for a senior role.

Ms Gillard says Mr Rudd needed some time out.

"Heavens knows he's earned it," he said. "I've never seen anyone work as hard as Kevin Rudd has in the past two-and-a-half years."

Newly installed Education and Workplace Relations Minister Simon Crean, who was also toppled as Labor leader, says he feels for Mr Rudd but the Government must now focus on winning the election.

"I think that whilst there was [public] anger [at Rudd's ousting] ... there was also a sense of relief that Labor was getting back on track," he told Radio National.