Hero's receptions for Gillard, Abbott | News.com.au
TONY Abbott has called Liberal MPs a "band of brothers and sisters" while Julia Gillard has been given a standing ovation as MPs returned to Canberra today.
The Liberal party room has met in Parliament House, at the same time as Labor's caucus gathered to dissect the party's shaky election campaign.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is finalising the reshuffle of her Cabinet team, with the return of Kevin Rudd assured - probably as Foreign Minister - but question marks hanging over the futures of other ministers. It also remains to be seen how two of the men who orchestrated Mr Rudd's downfall, Mark Arbib and Bill Shorten, will be treated.
New MPs have signed Labor's caucus book, but media representatives were asked to leave the room before Ms Gillard addressed her MPs. She has told them to be disciplined and united and refrain from more of the leaks which nearly derailed Labor's re-election big.
That means "making comments in the room rather than outside'', she told the caucus. They must "build on the future, not dwell on the past''.
Band of brothers
Mr Abbott has been confirmed as Opposition Leader, with Julie Bishop remaining as his deputy. The Liberal party room has swelled in numbers after the Coalition picked up enough seats to come within a whisker of forming government.
Mr Abbott has singled out the MPs who won seats off Labor or held their own seats "against the odds". "There are a lot more of you now than there were just a few, short weeks ago," he has said.
"This is a great team. It's a band of brothers and sisters. We are united in our values, we are united in our faith in ourselves and in our country," he has said.
"We have not become a government but we have made our country proud. I think we have done ourselves proud and we will make our country proud over the next two or three years."
The mention of "two years" could be seen as a sly jibe at the chances of the Labor minority government of going the distance of a full-term with no new election until 2013.
No challenge
A mooted challenge to Ms Bishop from Andrew Robb stalled overnight. It is seen as having been aimed more at shadow treasurer Joe Hockey than against Ms Bishop. One Liberal MP has called the idea of a challenge "a bit of a brain snap".
There is not expected to be wide-ranging changes to the Liberal team, given it came so close to securing a victory which had been unthinkable 12 months ago. But Mr Abbott will have to find room for the return to the fold of Malcolm Turnbull.
It is suggested Mr Turnbull could take the Communications portfolio, which will see him fighting Stephen Conroy over the net filter and the national broadband network.
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Labor pains
The first test of Labor unity and discipline will be how the party reacts to the Cabinet reshuffle currently being undertaken.
Ms Gillard is expected to promote Mr Rudd as part of the pre-election promise she made that he would serve on the frontbench if she was returned to power.
There is also an offer of a job to Rob Oakeshott, the NSW regional MP whose support helped Labor stay in power.
A promotion for the campaign strategist Senator Arbib could also be a hard sell after what has been described as a disastrous campaign from Labor's head office. There is expected to be heavy scrutiny on the performance of national secretary Karl Bitar.
Some of the blame will also be levelled at the state branches in New South Wales and Queensland.
An announcement on the reshuffle is not expected immediately, with ministers expected to be sworn in on Monday.
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