There's no mutiny, says Bligh

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says she can't detect any restlessness on her
backbench, despite reports senior members of her government fear 10 to 15 years in
opposition unless she goes.
On Wednesday Ms Bligh fobbed off reporters' questions about the leadership.
"I don't think at this time of year people are looking to see politicians squabbling
in the public arena," she told reporters.
She said the week ahead would bring severe weather to Queensland and the task of
mining tax reforms.
"Now is the time for us to be focusing on what Queenslanders want us to do, not to
be squabbling among ourselves."
The Brisbane Times website quotes an anonymous senior backbencher predicting "a
total wipeout" at the next election, due in 2012, under Ms Bligh's leadership.
The report said at least 10 Labor backbenchers believed that Labor, which has
governed for most of the past 20 years, cannot win under her leadership.
Labor holds 51 seats in the 89 seat unicameral parliament.
"We will be lucky to have a cricket team left," the MP is reported as saying. That
is a reference to the 1974 election when Labor held just 11 seats.
In August Ms Bligh, the first female Australian premier to be elected in her own
right, said she would consider resigning from the post if she became an electoral
liability.
Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek said the premier and her government had lost
Queenslanders' trust on issues including soaring power and water bills and
privatisation.
"That's why there's leadership speculation," he told reporters on the Gold Coast.
"Clearly there's a rift in the ranks. We now have senior members of the Labor Party,
John Mickel the Speaker at odds with Rob Schwarten - another senior minister.
" ... whoever replaces Anna Bligh, it's obvious that this has come about because
Labor presided over our asset sales, Labor has lost our Triple A credit rating, and
it's Labor who've racked up the cost of living for Queenslanders."
MrLangbroek shied away from suggestions the opposition was in its best tactical
position for many years.
"We're not taking anything for granted," he said.
"If you can believe what the polls say we are in a very, very good position, but
Labor are never going to give up and by the time of the next election they will not
have lost an election since November 1986."