Broken carbon promise costs Gillard

Barack Obama and Julia Gillard toss a football in the Oval Office. He said the Australian Prime Minister was doing 'an outstanding job'. Photo / Pete Souza

Climate change is threatening to fragment Prime Minister Julia Gillard's leadership as public opinion continues to turn sharply against the minority Labor Government and its proposed carbon pricing scheme.

While receiving warm praise from United States President Barak Obama in Washington ahead of her address to Congress tomorrow, Gillard is in serious trouble at home.

The Prime Minister has come under attack for reversing her election promise not to tax carbon emissions, and is struggling to gain the support she needs to push the scheme through Parliament in time for its planned introduction in July next year.

Three new opinion polls have confirmed the depth of public rejection, with one showing voters would prefer ousted predecessor Kevin Rudd back in the job.

Rudd, now Foreign Minister, suffered heavily before he was ousted by Gillard when he backed away from a greenhouse emissions trading scheme.

Gillard had previously been recovering in the polls, and could normally have expected a reprieve from the political heat of climate change during a visit to Washington in which both she and the nation were welcomed almost as family.

Obama and Gillard played with a football for the TV cameras, called each other's countries a "great mate", pledged mutual support in Afghanistan and other security affairs, and outlined shared interests in the Pacific, Asia, and world trade.

"From a distance at least, she's doing an outstanding job," Obama said of Gillard.

Polls at home told a different story.

A Newspoll in the Australian newspaper yesterday said that since Gillard announced her carbon pricing scheme, support for action on global warming had slumped.

The poll said 53 per cent of Australians now opposed the plan, with 42 per cent in favour.

An Essential poll in Fairfax newspapers said that 48 per cent opposed the carbon price, 35 per supported it, and 18 per cent were undecided.

Almost 60 per cent agreed Gillard had broken an election promise not to introduce a carbon tax and should wait until after the next election to introduce one.

And a Morgan poll said consumer confidence had dropped significantly since Gillard's announcement of the carbon tax.

Newspoll said the issue was now rebounding on Gillard, with Opposition leader Tony Abbott now the closest he has been to becoming preferred prime minister.

In just two weeks, Gillard's personal support has gone from its best since she won power in June last year to her worst, the Australian reported.

Labor's primary vote has dived six percentage points to just 30 per cent, the lowest primary vote in Newspoll survey history.

The Coalition recorded a primary vote of 45 per cent, its highest primary since former Prime Minister John Howard's peak in March 2206.

Primary support for the Greens rose slightly to a near-record high of 15 per cent.

The Australian said Gillard now had a negative satisfaction rating of 12 percentage points, had halved her lead over Abbott as preferred prime minister, and is now ahead by a much closer 45 per cent to 36 per cent.

In Parliament, Gillard is still short of the votes she needs to push the carbon tax through the Lower House.

The Greens' sole MP will support the bill, but key independents have yet to be convinced.

Gillard told reporters in Washington she would not back down.

"I will continue to press to price carbon and we will get that done from the first of July, 2012," she said.

Treasurer Wayne Swan said the Government was not pricing carbon because it was popular, but because it was right for the country.

"Julia Gillard has got the guts to put in place the fundamental reforms which will secure our prosperity for the future."

But Abbott repeated his claim that Gillard was a liar, and that the scheme would increase petrol prices and add A$300 ($394) a year to electricity bills

"Every time prices go up if this carbon tax comes in to effect people will think of the government, because this tax will cascade through the economy."