"Gillard looks as desperate as any prime minister in history to retain her job."
...
Gillard's fear is that she could become nothing more than an embarrassing footnote in history. That is what's driving her to strike a deal with the rural independents to allow Labor's damaged government to continue in power. She needs a second chance.
"The independents want full access to Treasury. Why not, says Gillard. They put forward a list of seven requests as part of an attempt to effect a "paradigm shift" in Australian politics, and suddenly, after three years of Labor taking no such steps, Gillard thinks they are good ideas. You get the impression that as long as there weren't any cameras around, if the independents asked Gillard to hop on one leg for 10 minutes, she might consider it.
...
"In contrast, Abbott certainly isn't coming across as desperate; he knows second-term governments with a minority status don't have a lot going for them. "
