Abbott reveals election agenda

Tony Abbott has drawn on the praise of a past leader and a battle plan for the
future to declare the coalition both election ready, and ready to govern.
The opposition leader used his party's federal council meeting in Canberra on
Saturday to reveal former prime minister John Howard's reaction to this week's Labor
leadership coup.
But his buoyant speech was sullied by polling that showed the new prime minister,
Julia Gillard, had returned Labor to an election winning position.
Mr Abbott told delegates that Mr Howard had called him on Wednesday night as the
moves to oust Kevin Rudd were afoot, and had credited the opposition.
"He said: 'You have achieved the greatest prize that any opposition leader can, you
have secured the scalp of a prime minister'," Mr Abbott said.
"We were going to defeat Kevin Rudd and his government, we know that we were going
to defeat them because the Labor powerbrokers have executed their leader without
pity, and without mercy.
"But as John Howard said to me on Wednesday night, you now have another task, and
that is to do it all again."
To that end, Mr Abbott unveiled a 12-point "action contract", described as "a
roadmap to good government".
On the agenda are items the coalition has already promised - such as returning the
budget to surplus within three years and a six month paid parental leave scheme - as
well as stricter border controls and an end to the new mining tax.
But Saturday's polls showed Ms Gillard had lifted Labor's primary vote to 41 per
cent - up four percentage points since the May budget.
The Galaxy poll for News Ltd newspapers also had Labor holding a 52-48 lead over the
coalition on a two-party preferred basis.
A Nielsen poll in Fairfax newspapers gave Labor a 55-45 lead.
Mr Abbott predicted the "wow factor" around Australia's first female prime minister
would fade.
"She can execute a prime minister but she can't execute a government program," he said.
Alternatively, a coalition government would bring "the most experienced and
accomplished ministerial team in a generation", Mr Abbott said.
"No amateur-hour bungles from us, because we know what a good government looks like,
we've been in one," he said.
Ms Gillard, meanwhile, spent Saturday considering how to reconfigure her front
bench, with speculation Mr Rudd may seek a new role in his favoured area of foreign
affairs.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he would step aside if that's what Ms Gillard
decided - but his predecessor, the Howard government's foreign affairs minister
Alexander Downer - thinks he should stay.
"I think we need to leave Mr Smith there and get a fresh start," he said, arguing Mr
Rudd had damaged relations with Japan, China and India.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon said she was "very comfortable" in her portfolio, and
with its recent reforms.
Ms Roxon also ridiculed Mr Abbott's action contract, saying it had to be called a
contract because his word could not be trusted.
"If this was a real contract, I think we would be referring it to the ACCC for a
breach of contract for misleading behaviour," she told AAP.