Well , there's a few issues to debate here. Julia made a speech on misogyny which went viral on YouTube. Says a lot a out social media, but nothing about the speech itself. Populism is t popularity, no matter how hard one tries. I know many women, but I know none that support Gillards grandstanding on this issue. Most are embarrassed that Gillard is seeming to speak for them, and none want her replaced. They have bats as big as the one I have, and they want the chance to use them.

JG thought she coud have an edge using gender is an insult to the intelligence of every Australian who can think! Well, she and her gangs are those who can't!

It's great news for Australia,if the change does happen the election could be early August.And a smile across the face of most Australians, the nightmare will finally be over. Just make it stop.

just hand me my ballot slip already. this PM has never been elected by the Aus people - became PM by knifing her boss, then did a deal with independents for balance of power - should have gone back to the polls a LONG time before this. meanwhile GG has sat on her hands rather than exercising special powers when a government shows it can't govern..

"The falls for ALP support in WA and South Australia suggest Labor could be almost wiped out in both states." Why stop there, I say, wipe them out in all states! Labor has completely broken all trust with the majority of the electorate with their disunity and hate for one another.

To Tony Abbott, It was not a bad dream,it was a reality forced upon us by people who do not stand for election,while not being the system we,the people,in reality, have. The system that most of the people of my age, grew up under, believing that we were governed under comprised, essentially,That the government,governed,for the good of the people,as determined by the majority of the people. This simple explanation of democracy precludes a carbon tax being imposed when/if it is promised not to be imposed. I will not be voting for a party who has as its leader somone who lied to me .

The females of our society that I have spoken with, have all felt embarrassed and shamed that our Prime Minister has used them to exploit a misguided political aim.

Bye Bye Julia and may you and your mob, turn out the lights when you exit that building in Canberra on Sep 15.

If Rudd is going to China on Thursday afternoon, then there is no challenge on, hence the rhetoric from Gillard supporters. Rudd supporters should just forget about it and let the voters decide.

Gender is a grammatical term used to describe objects as masculine, feminine or neuter. The correct term to use when describing people is sex. This is seen in such words as "inter-sex". Your heading should refer to "sex war" not gender war

A good article I have never liked Gillard but since the she has raised the gender issue my dislike for her has turned to hate.

Does Julia Gillard not understand that the Australian people do not want her as Prime Minister. She further insults Australians by her claims that she will cling to power no matter what, quite different to her actions when she knifed Rudd. When you pick a fight with the Australian people you are on a hiding to nothing, something Julia will soon find out.

Shows gender issues are not as important among women as integrity and competence

If you can't govern yourself, you can't govern the country.

Please , someone, anyone! I am totally confused in thinking that leaders/politicians are here to lead the country's economy; how silly of me- or are they are employed to battle popularity contest? One against the other;now that Voice is been dealt with, do we have another one called : "Choice" and when does it commence? Struth-sick of the lot. And what is also interesting I have never seen distressed politician. Never.

Last night's disgusting Q&A reaffirmed that Labor must, for the sake of future generations, be wiped clean and rebuilt from the grass roots. The incomprehensible rant from Ann Summers and scripted questions from a sadly indoctrinated audience would have made North Korea proud. What on earth do these people think they have in common with my daughter and mother? Who decided that they represent the common woman who is actually working for a living in a real job or is sleepless worrying on making ends meet? The gift to her is a 300 $billion debt to share with the grand kids.

The over 50s, doesn't surprise me, rearing children you developed a sixth sense, you know when something is wrong and not the real deal.

Today we have a photo shoot of PM Gillard in a magazine knitting a gift for a baby to be born to the English royal family. No longer a republican? And, a stereotyped facsimile of a woman's 'place'. What are her and her advisors thinking?

Mr Abbott is a class act and Ms Gillard a terrible disappointment as leadership goes, and a dreadful role model for young women. She will not answer questions properly in Parliament during Question Time, and is pushing this gender stuff. Wrong.

Rudd is obviously not a very nice person, Gillard can't read the people, where is Labor going to go? Who cares!

The PM has failed to appreciate that her attempts to alienate women from the Coalition and motivate them toward her policy has actually moved in the opposite direction. My evidence comes from my wife and work colleagues, who say that the have sons, husbands and partners that are now seen to be at a disadvantage as a result of the PMs approach to women and do not want to be part of that. They are growing in their opinion that the PM is only governing for women and that men can just tag along for the ride. These same women in my social circle are growing in their opinion that the PMs view that Abbott will diminish the status of women is simply a charge that he will not advance them at all, but drive a wedge into our society. Through this evidence, I believe the PM has simply misread the electorate and her policy is dividing people, workplaces and families as a result of her radical approach to feminism. I think it is time government was brought back to governing everybody, not just part of the population.

I am a member of the quite majority, we never get poled we never get asked our opinion(by Pollies), but we are there and we are voters and we will make a difference at the next poll , but it will a difference that isnt factored in because we are just going about our business of helping our kids and gran kids do the right thing and live and learn, but come election day we will make a big difference.

The Australian must try harder, find something new to say. You have run this line more then once. I suppose when there is no story and certainly no challenge to your most hated woman it becomes necessary to fill your front pages with pretend journalism.

Now the Women's Weekly (weakly) has come to her rescue again. Cancel those subscriptions, ladies!

Expect a snap election, whosoever leads Labor. It is now crystal clear that the electorate would not wait. Making the electorate wait will bring the death-zone ratings down, down, down. In practical terms, the election date is no longer the "captain's choice". Being stubborn is not strength, it is patent weakness. It is questionable whether what remains in her inner circle can endure the wait till September 14. It is already too late, accept the loudly pronounced demands for a change of government, any government, and a piece of burnt toast may just be a shade less burnt.

This lady is getting back the same amount of RESPECT that she shows to others.

Of course this 'misogyny' nonsense has backfired on Labor. It has wrecked Labor's male vote and at the same time, led to Abbott being seen more often with his wife and daughters, showing him to be the family man. This resonates well with female voters. After Labor is deservedly demolished at the election, two important questions will remain for Labor: 1. Why did other Labor MPs join with Gillard in the 'misogyny' absurdity?; and 2. Why didn't Labor sack its hapless communications director two years ago?

Seeing the attached photograph of Gillard, dog at feet allegedly knitting a toy 'kanga' is enough reason in itself to fuel my NO vote for continuation of this failed Labor Government. Gillard, Rudd, Shorten or anyone else from Labors cesspool, roll on September 14th and free us from this nightmare!

What a ridiculous picture of Julia Gillard knitting. Respect is something we all have to earn and Julia Gillard has not earned my respect. Julia Gillard would be a lot more popular today, if she had not tried to divide the Nation with class-warfare, gender etc. AUSTRALIANS DO NOT LIKE SUCH BEHAVIOUR. Remember Bob Hawke's badge "Bob Hawke Bringing Australia Together". I still have mine., I see her as a bully, for example: the way she is treating the States over the signing up of Gonski. I see her as being selfish, she is more interested in her own lust for power, than what is best for the Nation or the ALP. I do not like the way she carries on in Question Time. The way she yells across the Despatch Box, it is not becoming of a person in her position. I do not like the fact that she has someone in her employ under a 457 Visa BUT says we cannot do the same with employees. I do not like the way she plays the "Gender Card" every time she cannot get her own way. She said the government had "lost its way" under Kevin Rudd. It has been further "lost" under her Prime Ministership. My dislike of her has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman, it is the way she behaves.

Those Labor MP’s calling for a return to Kevin to save their skins obviously know nothing about the four major personality styles i.e. Dominant, Influencing, Steadying and Competent; if they did they would not even countenance a return to Mr Rudd. Their ex-PM is an Influencer; the overriding drive of this style is to seek attention and adoration and they make promises to please as many people which they later find they cannot hope to fulfil. The principle fear of this style is rejection by those who have fallen for all the gladhanding and promises in the first place and when the reality of this rejection sinks in the Influencing style sets out on a path of vengeance. Mark Latham is on the button in his assessment of Mr Rudd the question is, is Mr Rudd just trying to pull down Ms Gillard or is he intent on trying to permanently damage Australia’s Oldest Political Party. Caucus needs to wake up to reality.

HUM HUM another version of a story sadly we all know we the voters are being treated to a disgraceful display of self interest self destruct lies gender wars blue ties etc its so like a BAD soap opera and the elected politicians of the labor party allow it to go on i really hope they all loose their seats they are held in contempt by us

Supporters of Gillard believe she's been dealt with badly, because of her gender. NONE of these women (for example, Ann Summers on Q&A last evening) ever mention the sexism J.G. uses against Abbott. Summers lauded Gillard's misogynist speech. Why isn't that sexist? She praised the raising of Abbott's view (in J.G.'s warped mind)on abortions as perfectly okay. That was also not sexist. J.G. has been thoroughly inadequate as a P.M. Too much use of lies, spin and deceit. Too many displays of a spiteful, bad tempered person. This has nothing to do with her gender, but everything to do with her lack of ability. Same would apply if she were male. J.G. constantly accuses Abbott of sexism, whilst using her gender for personal and political gain at every opportunity. No one has ever asked her to retract her labelling of Abbott as a misogynist and an economic simpleton, amongst other derogatory remarks. I can just imagine the outcry if Abbott called J.G. a misandrist and a political simpleton. It's perfectly okay for her to dish it out. That's not sexist. This behaviour will never excuse her poor performance, but don't expect her to stop trying. Not long to go now. "Whatever it takes".

This message of gender sounds a bit rich to me.Gillard along with a number of feminists appear to be beating the drum on the subject at any opportunity.I wonder who has the problem.To make it an election issue is not the answer as proven in the polls.

Who would have thought that Madam Gillard would be Australia's first tricoteuse, madly knitting while Labor faces execution.

At least Rudd is getting on with life. He should have flown out today and left the arrogant mess sort itself out. One can only hope that he keeps to his word. To try to help this crowd of strangely self-interested fools seems as pointless as the PM taking a stubborn stand that blindly claims authority when everything around is in a chaos of collapse. How can such minds possibly govern for anyone but themselves?

The voters have not liked what Labor has done since 2007, and in particular the last 3 years of Gillard, and Swan. Julia was not elected PM in 2010, she negotiated office as a result of a hung parliament, and should never claim to have been the people's choice. As a result the voters have already decided who they will support, and would prefer the election be held as soon as possible. Delaying the election until September, will further damage the Labor image.

The Labor Government continually says that it has a good story to tell. They complain that their real problem has been the inability to sell the message about their achievements. What they don’t seem to realise is that most of their large programs (DisabiltyCare, School funding and NBN) have not been funded or implemented. How difficult is it to make great pronouncements with funding and implementation blithely ignored or put 6 years in the future? A kindergartener could do this. The hard part is in bringing the programs to fruition, something that this government has not been able to do. So, their problem is not an inability to sell their achievements; their real problem is that the public is sick of the announcements about programs that never eventuate.

Its Gillard's mess, most would prefer she face the voters come Sept. Not Rudd. He has basically had his punishment, though how much has sunk in is difficult to know. He would be a fool to back up for another shellacking which basically belongs to Gillard. We must be the laughing stock of the world.

The great thing about this poll is it shows clearly that Australian women and men have had a gut full of this feminin, sexist crap and political correctness garbage . The vast majority all Australian would like to get rid of all these stupid games, so we men and women can get on with our lives and enjoy and appreciate the difference of our genders.

JG talks about women's power being diminished in parliament by men in blue ties and then fails to back a woman for the safe seat of Batman. She might talk the talk, but she doesn't walk the walk.

They would have to be extremely desperate to look to Rudd as their saviour but maybe it has come to that. Personally, I think they are delusional if they think, for one minute, that Rudd is the answer. If he is then I think they should take another look at the questiion.

The best way to resolve the crisis is for the independents to withdraw their support from the now very dysfunctional coalition, leaving it to the GG to act.

"Margaret of Brisbane" (Comment 13) Spot on! But Labor, Gillard most of all, either doesn't understand this or is using the pseudo gender debate as a smoke screen for their incompetence. I think it's the latter.

Looks like all the LNP trolls came in from barking at the full moon in a rush to get their hate messages on line. What a wonderful three years Australia is in for with this mob and Mr Divisive himself. Mean and Tricky is starting to look Relaxed and Comfortable.

I love the men in my life. As the mother of 3 boys I played a pivotol role in their upbringing. My biggest job as a mother was to teach them about love and respect. My point being if we have a lot of mysoginist men as Julia contends doesn`t that mean that every mother of a son in this country has failed in their duty. My grown up sons respect everyone that deserves respect and believe me its not based on that persons beliefs,sexuality or gender.

Nero played the violin ,Gillard knits ,Rudd plays ping pong .

Intriguing choice of photograph from our PM. After alienating Australian women who are not threatened by our Australian men, she now appears to be appealing to all the 'home bodies' out there who she feels may not support her view of our fathers, husbands and sons. There are no depths to which our PM is prepared to sink, for this reason and this reason alone she has become unpopular. She has spent too much time playing backroom girl games instead of acting like the mature woman that she is, who holds an extremely important role. Our PM was out of her depth in the job from Day 1. Had she and her government been doing a good job, then Kevin Rudd or anyone else could not have undermined her. It is of her own making. Bring on the blue ties.

Sick to death of the whole saga - give us (the voters) a break and get on without the blue tie type comments - and govern. - I would have thought that that stopping the boats was much more important.

To Comment 16 I also watched Q&A and so nearly hit the off button. As always, Tony Jones allowed the Laborites to go for their life - and they did. Ann Summers was freely allowed to unquestionably rant on about poor little Julia being unfairly treated, because of her gender. Not once did anyone, including Jones, query why being called a misogynist was not considered sexist. Thistlewaite was allowed almost as long as he could ever need, to sprout electioneering for his Party and debase Abbott's. The questions seemed to me to have been very carefully selected, along with members of the audience who were involved. The young female who had a question, contributed? Simply showed complete ignorance and gave such a pathetic reason for believing Abbott to be anti-female. She was also given plenty of air time. But the ABC continues to say it isn't biased. Have to say, Richardson's comments were honest, to the point, sincere and, amazingly, not cut short.

Divisive politics may work as a union person - but not as a Prime Minister. Maybe Julia should be called Peter - based on the fact she has risen far above her competency level! She is the epitomy of the Peter principle.

More gender arguments - not that I belittle myself to watch the lefty Q & A - we all know it is a smoke screen for Gillard's poor quality as an unelected PM -Bad policies, abuse, huge debt, unprotected borders, far too many implemented policies, Gonski ridiculous - her Ministers foul mouthed - Gillard and Rudd fighting for front page news - don't worry about the poor Country - you just keep on knitting girl!! - what a poser you are

Is this 'the real Julia'? or just another photo op version of the original? One has to wonder how many members of the CWA etc are also knitting roos, koalas, echidnas not to mention bootees, housecoats etc for the new royal baby. Do they get their photos in the newspapers? Yet they all do a truly wonderful job within the community. If Julia on the advice of 457 visa McTernan thinks this was a good idea then they are both truly delusional. It is a far from flattering photo of the PM particularly compared with her appearance at the parliament House Winter Ball. Like most of her three years in power this is just another judgemental error. As for McTernan, we have not yet heard why he was employed over plenty of other Australians who would be far more aware of the Australian psyche than McTernan ever will be. Julia really does want to walk on both sides of the street simultaneously but fails on both counts.

Agree with Anne, Gillard backed an ALP powerbroker and one of the "faceless men" who put her into power against the brilliant ( woman) Jed Kearney in Batman. Her decision to hire (457 visa holder) John McTiernan as chief of staff has been a big mistake. He is the author of the absolutely ludicrous statements like, in an Abbot government, women's voices will be suppressed, abortions would be illegal etc. The sooner all women and men to see themselves as people and not a gender the better. Mc Tiernan tried to copy the Obama strategy on gender and it failed. However, the denigration of women has surfaced with the "menu" scandal and the Armed Forces revelations, and made me look closer at the composition of Abbots front bench. Mirabella, Cash and Bishop have all had to be stronger and nastier than men to get there which is unlike the front bench in Labor, Wong, Roxon, Plibasek and others. McTiernans "advice" needs to be scrutinized by the PM, or better still just send him back to the UK, under their own " tightening of the 457 visa bill" there are others here that can do his job and do it much better.

Good on Kevin, nicking off to China so the Faceless Men can't accuse him of fomenting a challenge. That'll larn 'em. If they can't talk about Kevin's imaginary conspiracy to take over the Labor Party, they've nothing to talk about at all. Rudd's been a model of uncontroversial decency in the face of extravagant criticism. He may have been a dreadful PM, but he's no fool ... not compared to the rest of the ALP. He'll likely be around for a while yet, and that's something most of his enemies can't say. Regardless, it's too late for the ALP to fix its internal problems before the election. Blame will settle on Gillard ... and the powerbrokers who used her to wreck Kevin. Fair enough, too. We can go back to sleep now. Nothing's happening until September. What comes after that for the ALP will be good theatre, though. We live in interesting times ...

If the Labor party wants to make any attempt to refresh itself before the election they should do just that. That means dumping both Gillard and Rudd and try someone entirely new. Both the others are tared with the same brush. A Rudd return would be a groundhog day moment.

Lincoln of Victoria: there will not be an early election if Gillard remains in power. To use a rugby euphemism, she has consistently shown that her strength is "playing the man and not the ball". She has displayed this skill both against the opposition and her own party (Rudd or any other naysayer) alike. As such, Labor is waiting for a mistake to be made, i.e. a knock-on or a hospital pass, by the Coalition. They ar praying for that mistake, using smoke and mirror's to claim that they have the ground on policy, when in fact everytime they talk policy (i.e. playing the ball) they knock it on themselves. There only hope is to keep playing the man - Tony Abbott. If they go early, Labor negate the chance of that mistake being realised. Hence, they will not go early. Dirty player's this Labor team....

wow,we all need to take a bex and have a good lie down. Shanahan's relentless sniping at Julia Gillard has become obsesseive, he needs to get some help and all of you who blindly accept his rants need to start thinking for yourselves. Julia is the best PM we have had and will continue to have since PK. So there!!

Margaret of Brisbane - Here Here (You summed it up very nicely)

@Pat Williams - it's all a CONSPIRACY! They're all out to gedya. It's the beginning of a Green World Government. Quick! Under the bed - if you can shove the reds over. What a load of bollocks. Some stupid person wrote the other day that Rudd was cruel and rude because he dared to interrupt a (female!) journalist in order to finish his comments. NO! How could he? Imagine the outrage if Leigh Sales broke into THE MAN's thought bubble. Sacre bleu! Privatise the ABC (and burn Fairfax and all media not owned by moguls whose name begins with M) otherwise we're all DOOMED!

Julia Gillard can Knit?? I do not believe it. Just a stunt.

Obviously her own team mates don't have much respect for Gillard, if they did the labor party would not be in the position it is. Gillard just can't lead.

Julia oscillates between pushing the assertive feminist role, and the doe-eyed hapless victim. The inability to provide a mature intellectual discussion in favour of a condescending diatribe is what has created the electorate response. It is a credit to her that she has not labelled Paul Howes a misogynist, as it becomes clearer that she is merely Howes' ventriloquist doll, responding appropriately to the unions' collective disseminations. The disdain from the electorate at ALP hypocritically labelling Abbot as a discriminatory naysayer, will haunt ALP all the way to the ballot. It is every card that JG has played that has backfired on her! Perhaps knit one, purl one is where her future lies.

This government is and has been a total disgrace to the people of Australia. We deserve much better than this rabble. Roll on September 14. I say the polls are wrong. Gillard as preferred PM should read -30 or less.

It's ironic, but this present fiasco was inevitable in a Party where the grass-roots are totally dominated by an unrepresentative, minority Union faction. In a true Party of, and for the People this present paralysis would have been vigorously settled by its membership long ago. The current structure of the Labor Party has reduced it into just a top-down anachronistic curiosity which is totally unsuitable for government in these complex times.

The gender war should not work as I believe it is all confected and done on the advice of a male, one, John McTernan. I feel sorry for Gillard that she has actually allowed herself to be used in this way. It shows that she will lie wherever it suits her cause.