WEEK ONE

David Speers, Sky News Political Editor

10 February 2011

If the first week of parliament is any guide, both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott should be nervous about the parliamentary year ahead.

The Prime Minister won high praise for her emotional condolence speech and by week's end had her parliamentary mojo back.

But it's results that matter and she still hasn't locked in support for the flood levy.

The government had assumed cross benchers would fall into line. Ironically the two Coalition alligned independents, Bob Katter and Tony Crook have. The rest are still holding out and making an array of different demands.

As for Tony Abbott, he managed to weather the media storm over his “shit happens” comments.

But his colleagues remain perplexed by his "long silent fury" – the failure to explain the context of the comments when asked a simple question on camera.

More concerning for Tony Abbott, his shadow cabinet is leaking.

And not in a small way.

We now know his Deputy Leader Julie Bishop vehemently opposed one of the centerpiece budget cuts proposed by Tony Abbott, deferring foreign aid spending on schools in Indonesia.

Others in Liberal ranks are worried about a destabilising year ahead as jockeying between Andrew Robb, Joe Hockey and Julie Bishop intensifies.

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