But by yesterday afternoon, the Opposition Leader appeared to be seeking to turn down the volume. ''What I want to make crystal clear is that I just won't cop any suggestion that I am indifferent to the fate of our troops or uninterested in the success of their mission,'' he told a news conference. He declined, however, to get back to his earlier claims of ''low bastardry'' by the PM. ''Look, she said what she said, I've said what I said. I think it was important to say what I said but today, now, my job is to talk about the work of our troops …'' But then, Mr Pyne jumped in, turning the heat up again on the woman who, when she was deputy PM, once called him a mincing poodle.

''She's prepared to play politics with our involvement in Afghanistan … Trying to create the impression that Tony Abbott didn't want to visit the Diggers in the field was not just an act of political bastardry, but also back alley bitchiness from a person who is portraying all the signs of someone who is not fit to be prime minister,'' Mr Pyne said. The truth is that Mr Abbott last week landed himself in a political pickle, regardless of anything Ms Gillard did or didn't do. When it was reported that he had declined her invitation to accompany her to Afghanistan, Mr Abbott explained he had not wanted to arrive in Britain jetlagged. Later he admitted his wording had been bad. The reporter who broke the invitation story has said it didn't come from Ms Gillard or her office. Regardless of its origin, Ms Gillard did use it to make Mr Abbott look bad - but he'd helped her. Then, when he reached Afghanistan, he provided her with more ammunition by his

''bastardry'' lines. He accused her office of briefing journalists ''that I'd somehow dudded the troops by not visiting'' when he had personally told her of his plans - well ahead of her invitation. With Australian troops fighting and dying there, this scrapping seems incredibly petty. Ms Gillard, appearing yesterday with two woman executives on a business panel, was able to look like the Mother Superior. ''Sometimes Tony Abbott runs to harsh words before he's bothered to get the facts,'' she said. Mr Abbott's colourful phrase was ''not warranted'' and probably it was ''best before you use such harsh language to find out what the facts are''. For Mr Abbott this is a particularly dangerous time. He does not take defeat well, as we saw when he went into a prolonged funk after the 2007 election. His failure to win this election, after coming so close, is especially galling for him. Yet as Opposition Leader he can't just sulk and get some therapy from writing a book. Nor can he simply kick and scream and expect parliamentary numbers will change by the independents swapping sides.

While it is possible something unforseen, such as byelections, could happen, the independents are likely to hang in where they are. The Parliament has a good chance of lasting all or nearly all its full term. Loading Mr Abbott at some point has to switch to tactics to deal with that. Very quickly, he needs to get himself into the mind space to cope with such an uncongenial outcome. Otherwise his colleagues will lose faith in him. Michelle Grattan is Age political editor.