'Feisty' Gillard confident of election victory

Updated

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has declared she will win the federal election, saying she is a "strong, feisty woman".

She made the declaration during a heated Question Time in Federal Parliament, in which the Opposition continued to pressure the Government over its proposed media reforms.

The Government wants its package of media bills passed this week but is yet to secure the necessary cross-bench support.

Earlier today, senior Labor frontbencher Simon Crean conceded the Government could have handled the bills better.

In Question Time, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott asked whether Ms Gillard would regard the bills not passing the House as a lack of confidence in the Government.

He challenged the Prime Minister to call an immediate election if they fail to pass.

"Are these bills of such importance to the Government that if the Government fails to carry them in the House this week, she will regard that as a question of lack of confidence in her Government?" Mr Abbott said.

Ms Gillard deflected the question and said the election date had been set.

"It will be a contest counter-intuitive to those believing in gender stereotypes, but a contest between a strong feisty woman and a policy-weak man, and I'll win it," she said.

Opposition frontbencher Christopher Pyne was clearly riled with another of Ms Gillard's comments.

"The Prime Minister answered the question and then she, as an aside, said for some unknown reason 'misogynist Tony is back'," Mr Pyne said.

"I would ask her to withdraw it because it is a slur on the Leader of the Opposition and a desperate play from a desperate prime minister," he added, shouting from the dispatch box.

Ms Gillard withdrew the remark and Mr Pyne was ordered to leave the chamber for an hour.

The Prime Minister's comments come amid continuing leadership speculation in Labor ranks.

Today's Fairfax papers reported that Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Mark Butler, the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, have both deserted the PM's camp.

This morning Senator Carr angrily denied reports that he had withdrawn his support for Ms Gillard, saying he remains "loyal" to her.

Mr Butler also reaffirmed his support for the Prime Minister.

Topics: federal-government, federal-elections, government-and-politics, federal-parliament, australia

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