Julia Gillard's response in that interview underscores why she never managed to gain the confidence of the majority of mainstream Australians.
The interviewer could have better pursued Gillard's responses and it was a bit crude to repeatedly assert she had not answered his question, but her answer was clearly inadequate not just for the interviewer but for the public as well.
I'm not sure why Gillard's attempts to communicate to the public were so often wooden and legalistic but there's no doubt they did not endear her to the majority of voters.
So is there a lesson there for Tony Abbott to take on board? I suggest there are several:
1. Restricting his appearance to friendly interviews has raised public concerns. Why shirk the tough stuff?
2. Abbott's call for people to trust him may well be counter-productive; they almost assert that he's telling us people haven't trusted him, begging the question as to "Why?".
3. People want to see Abbott performing under the sort of pressure he will face as PM to see if he can take the same garbage he's chucked at so many others.
4. The public expects Abbott to stop belly-aching about things like Rudd naming the election date; they want him to stop dodging, weaving and running away from challenges such as the NPC debate with Rudd. While he does so that great big question relating to trust is growing ever larger.
5. After listening to nothing but infantile slogans and insulting mantras from Abbott for four years now, the public is desperate for real answers from him about his vision for our future etc.
Love him or loathe him, since his return Rudd hasn't shirked a single hard ball and has addressed major issues with courage and vigor. In contrast, Abbott has been tip-toeing through the tulips as if the garden beds are full of broken glass.
