Julia Gillard declined to comment on her latest success in the polls at a Queensland Press Club conference in Brisbane today.

She spoke instead on tax cuts and tailored strategies for small businesses.

Carly Synnott reports.

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TRANSCRIPT

Controversy over Julia Gillard’s invitation for the opposition leader to visit troops in Afghanistan has done little to dampen her approval rating.

Gillard outstripped Tony Abbott in today’s polls jumping two points as preferred Prime Minister Abbott dropping three.

Even eight weeks after the election the nation clearly doesn’t know who to support with Labor and the Coalition even in the polls.

Fresh from his own visit to Afghanistan, Mr Abbott accused Ms Gillard of concocting a “carefully laid political ambush.”

Tony Abbott, Opposition Leader: “For her office to brief that I somehow snubbed the troops by not going with her was just absolutely wrong.”

Mr Abbott is adamant it was a set-up and he’s also accused the Gillard government of not supporting Australian troops after three were charged with the killing of five Afghan children in 2009.

Tony Abbott, Opposition Leader: “The last thing that people would want to see is soldiers being stabbed in the back by their own government.”

Despite the good news in the polls the Prime Minister declined to cash in on her new found popularity.

Julia Gillard, Prime Minister: “No, I won’t comment on the polls. I’ll leave that up to members of the media.”

She spoke instead on economic reform and tax cuts for small businesses.

Julia Gillard, Prime Minister: “Reform is not easy but it works, and for reform to be real, I know every government decision matters and every dollar counts.”

The Prime Minister also vowed to have a carbon reduction scheme back on the agenda and a carbon price set by 2012.

Carly Synnott, QUT News.