CANBERRA: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard resoundingly beat challenger Kevin Rudd in a leadership vote in February, while opinion polls showed her disliked minority government starting to win some voter support.
Gillard's year began badly, with public attacks from former PM Rudd dominating political life, even though in late 2011 she won parliamentary backing for her landmark carbon tax
In January, she lost the backing of key independent Andrew Wilkie, cutting her majority back to one vote, after she reneged on a deal to reform laws on slot-machine gambling.
Polls show Gillard would easily lose the next elections, due in late 2013, and she needs ongoing support from Greens and two independents to ensure her government survives.
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