Treasurer Wayne Swan has thrown his support behind Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, after speculation in the press that his popular deputy Julia Gillard could take over before the election, expected by November.
Mr Swan told the ABC, "The Government is 100 per cent behind the Prime Minister… He's done a terrific job, he's kept Australia out of recession and he'll lead us to the election as the Prime Minister."
Other Labor frontbenchers, including Julia Gillard, Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, have also leapt to the defence of Kevin Rudd.
He's under pressure from a barrage of poor polls as the government feels the heat from the mining tax debate and the emissions trading scheme (ETS) delay.
Parliament resumes tomorrow for what could be the last sitting session before the election.
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Mining tax controversy
Meanwhile, a coalition of national organisations, representing social services, workers, environmental and consumer interests, has called for the voices of ordinary Australians to be heard in the mining tax debate.
The argy-bargy over the proposed resources super profits tax (RSPT) is being dominated by taxpayer-funded government advertising, and that of powerful vested mining interests.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is under pressure to give ground to the miners, but the ACTU, Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and Consumers' Federation of Australia on Monday urged the government not to baulk at necessary reforms to make the tax system fairer.
Without the tax, it would be left to ordinary wage earners to make the shortfall in government revenue, the groups said.
ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence said the big miners had hijacked the tax debate.
"Mining magnates are putting at jeopardy improved superannuation savings for the workforce of more than 10 million, billions of dollars of infrastructure spending that our nation needs, and a cut to the company tax rate for 770,000 businesses," he said.
"The RSPT misinformation being spruiked by the big miners is a disgrace."
ACOSS chief Clare Martin said a tax on resource profits was a fair and efficient way to raise revenue.
"Australia needs a stronger tax base, including a national tax on use of Australia's mineral resources, to fund services for the community especially as our population ages," she said.
ACF spokesman Charles Berger called for the government to green up the final design of the tax.
"The government should ensure there will not be tax refunds to mining projects in the event of environmental disasters, and should phase out subsidies for exploration and fossil fuel intensive activities as the Henry Review recommended," he said.
