A fired-up Julia Gillard has delivered another spirited defence against suggestions she was involved in any wrongdoing in relation to a union slush fund nearly two decades ago.

In the face of a growing attack by the Coalition, the Prime Minister has held a lengthy press conference to explain her involvement in the Australian Workers Union (AWU) Workplace Reform Association.

The association's funds were subsequently used for allegedly fraudulent purposes.

During the press conference, Ms Gillard:

Said she had been repeatedly defamed by suggestions she set up a slush fund, saying her role was limited to providing legal advice on the incorporation of the association;

Said she had been repeatedly defamed by suggestions she set up a slush fund, saying her role was limited to providing legal advice on the incorporation of the association; Explained that she was under the impression that the association would support the re-election of union officials;

Explained that she was under the impression that the association would support the re-election of union officials; Rejected suggestions she knowingly benefited from the association's funds;

Rejected suggestions she knowingly benefited from the association's funds; Referred to one of her accusers, former AWU official Ralph Blewitt, as a self-confessed fraudster, a "stooge" and a "sexist pig";

Referred to one of her accusers, former AWU official Ralph Blewitt, as a self-confessed fraudster, a "stooge" and a "sexist pig"; Accused the Opposition of having nothing to offer beyond "sleaze and smear".

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Ms Gillard, who originally answered questions on the issue in August, said she decided to front another press conference to deal with the matter "in the hope that that minimises the amount of parliamentary time that is wasted on these issues".

At the time the fund was set up, Ms Gillard was a lawyer working at Slater & Gordon and provided legal advice for the association's incorporation.

Some of the association's funds were used by Ms Gillard's then-boyfriend, AWU official Bruce Wilson, for allegedly fraudulent purposes.

"There's been a lot of focus on what I should have reported to authorities at that time. Well, you can't report things you do not know," she told reporters in Canberra.

"I did not know about transactions on the accounts of the AWU Workplace (Reform) Association.

"My role was as a legal adviser, providing advice about the incorporation of that association.

"I have been defamed on a number of occasions with forms of words, saying that I set up a fund or a bank account.

"I did not set up a fund, I did not set up a bank account. Any such claim about me is a defamatory claim, and I'd look to this press gallery to try to show some leadership in standards and accuracy."

Ms Gillard has previously attacked media coverage of the issue, describing one story in The Australian newspaper that detailed a $5,000 payment in her bank account as part of a "smear campaign".

Asked about it again today, Ms Gillard said she did not remember receiving such a deposit, adding that she had specifically made inquiries with the Commonwealth Bank to see if they had any records of it.

"They have advised me it is not possible to get records from 17 years ago," she said.

"I had hoped to be in a position to produce my bank records to help verify recollections here, but I cannot be put in that position because the records aren't available."

Coalition attack

All the Opposition's questions came from Julie Bishop. ( AAP: Lukas Coch )

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott this morning again urged the Prime Minister to tell her side of the story, so he could give her the "benefit of the doubt".

But the Coalition appears unsatisfied by Ms Gillard's 45-minute long press conference, using Question Time to again press the Prime Minister for answers.

"Why did the Prime Minister give legal advice to Wilson and Blewitt on the incorporation of this association when she must have known as a partner of Slater & Gordon it was in contravention of union rules?" Deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop asked.

Ms Bishop later referred to a letter Ms Gillard wrote to Mr Wilson in August 1991, which she says included "detailed advice on AWU rules, on branch officers, union officials and elections".

"Will the Prime Minister now admit that she was fully aware of AWU rules about the authorisation to set up entities and bank accounts bearing the name of the union, and that the AWU Workplace Reform Association breached those union rules?"

Ms Gillard responded by saying that her role was limited to providing legal advice to clients based on their instructions.

In her press conference, she said the request to help set up the association "did not strike me as a non-standard transaction" given that it was "common" for unions to incorporate such associations.

Every Opposition question asked during today's Question Time came from Ms Bishop, was directed to the Prime Minister, and related to her involvement in the AWU matter.

Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson launched an attack on the Coalition's tactics, saying: "This parliament is going to witness a triumph of plans over fear, of policy over smear, and you will get what's coming to you from this smear campaign that you've engaged in for so long."

Later in Question Time, fellow frontbencher Anthony Albanese tabled a newspaper report from 2007 regarding Ms Bishop's involvement in a court case relating to asbestos victims.

Ms Bishop continued her line of questioning, asking Ms Gillard whether her reason for not opening a file at Slater & Gordon when she dealt with the AWU Workplace Reform Association was to avoid alerting her legal partners and the union of an "unauthorised slush fund".

Ms Gillard rejected the suggestion, saying it was common practice to do routine matters for unions free of charge and described Ms Bishop's questions as "bordering on the embarrassing".

"To save her the questions, let me assure her, I didn't fake the Moon landing, I wasn't responsible for the assassination of JFK, I didn't shove Harold Holt on a Chinese submarine - just before she gets to those questions, because where these conspiracy theories are getting us to is truly absurd and generally embarrassing."

'His word against mine'

Sorry, this video has expired Gillard unleashes on 'sleaze and smear' campaign

Over the weekend, Mr Wilson broke his silence to declare that Ms Gillard knew nothing about the fraudulent use of money from the AWU Workplace Reform Association.

His comment came just days after Mr Blewitt flew back into Australia, suggesting Ms Gillard still had questions to answer about the fund.

Ms Gillard used her press conference to hit back at Mr Blewitt, arguing he lacks credibility.

"Mr Blewitt is a man who has publicly said he was involved in fraud. Mr Blewitt is a man who has sought immunity from prosecution," Ms Gillard said.

"Mr Blewitt is a man who has fled Indonesia to avoid a police interview in relation to land fraud, although he denies wrongdoing in the case. Mr Blewitt says he owes money on another Asian land deal.

"Mr Blewitt admits to using the services of prostitutes in Asia. Mr Blewitt has published lewd and degrading comments - and accompanying photographs - of young women on his Facebook page.

"Mr Blewitt, according to people who know him, has been described as a complete imbecile, an idiot, a stooge, a sexist pig, a liar, and his sister has said he's a crook and rotten to the core.

"His word against mine? Make your mind up."