Julia Gillard has dismissed MP Tony Windsor's prediction the carbon tax will cost her government the 2013 election.
The Independent MP said the proposed tax was proving so disastrous for the Labor government it could cost Gillard her job.
Gillard welcomed his comments but disagreed while on a visit to a new wind farm near Canberra today.
At the Gunning Wind Farm in southern NSW on Wednesday, Gillard met farmers Alan McCormack and his sister Elleen. The couple allowed Spanish company Acciona Energy to build a wind farm on their property at Gurrundah after years of drought.
Gillard said other farmers could look at similar opportunities to break into the renewable energy market and access a special $10 billion government fund.
The prime minister attended the official opening of the wind farm, which Acciona predicts will meet the power needs of 30,000 households.
With growing opposition to the proposed carbon pricing, Gillard refused to say how long she would be out campaigning for.
"This is about the nation's future, and I will be out as necessary talking to Australians," she said.
MP Tony Windsor is overseas on a fact-finding trip on climate change policy. He added he continued to back Gillard because he didn't support Opposition leader Tony Abbott and his “relentless negativity”.
Today, Abbott was at the Hazelwood coal-fired power station in Victoria. He vowed to keep open the country's biggest carbon emitting electricity generator, telling workers the coalition was not in the business of closing down power stations.
He also joked about Prime Minister Julia Gillard losing her job as Labor cracked under the pressure of public opposition to its carbon pricing scheme.
