SMH.com.au
Julia Gillard would be disastrous as prime minister, the federal opposition's deputy leader Julie Bishop says.
The comments come as opinion polls indicate the deputy prime minister closing in on her boss Kevin Rudd as a preferred national leader.
Ms Bishop has sharpened her attack on her Labor counterpart, arguing her record as education and employment minister would make her unsuitable to be Australia's first female prime minister.
"Given her record as a minister, I think Julia Gillard would make a disastrous prime minister," she told ABC Television.
"It seems that in any other government, Ms Gillard would not survive with that incompetent performance but in the Rudd government, incompetence is not only tolerated, it seems to be rewarded."
Asked if the opposition's election strategy would focus more of its attacks on Ms Gillard rather than Mr Rudd, Ms Bishop said both were responsible for failed stimulus policies.
"Obviously, we are of the view that it wouldn't matter who led the Labor Party, their disastrous policies will continue," she said.
Ms Bishop said Ms Gillard was responsible for the workplace training element of the disastrous home insulation program, even though Employment Participation Minister Mark Arbib had this role.
She cited the government's broken election promise to build 260 childcare centres as more evidence of Ms Gillard's failed leadership ability - only 38 will be built.
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COMMENT: If Julia Gillard would be a failure as PM, Julie Bishop is already
a dunce and total failure as Deputy Opposition Leader. Heaven help the people
of Australia if she actually became Deputy PM, let alone Prime Minister.
