As campaign heats up, Aussie PM says she's 'not done yet'

Gillard, who is struggling in opinion polls, last week announced that the next election will be on Sept. 14, a surprising tactic in Australia where poll dates are usually announced only weeks in advance.

Addressing Labor candidates in Canberra, the prime minister said she was committed to creating jobs and improving opportunities and it was important that voters heard this message.

“I'm looking to you to be out there in your communities explaining to them that this is the work of governing and we are not done yet,” she said.

Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, on Wednesday took the unprecedented step of giving the nation eight months' notice of the federal election. Three days later she announced that two key ministers were resigning.

Attorney General Nicola Roxon and Minister for Tertiary Education Chris Evans, two of Gillard's most trusted colleagues, have quit cabinet and will retire from politics this year because of family reasons.

The shock departures come just days after ex-Labor MP Craig Thomson was arrested on fraud charges. The conservative opposition has declared Labor has had a “horror start” to the year.

“It is going to be very important in the days and weeks ahead that there is a strong and stable government in Canberra and I regret to say that just at the moment that doesn't appear to be the case,” opposition leader Tony Abbott said.

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