Gillard mum on more Rudd axings

Julia Gillard won't say whether she thinks all of Kevin Rudd's ministerial supporters should fall. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has refused to say whether the bloodletting over the failed leadership coup will continue with the axing of the remaining Kevin Rudd supporters on her frontbench.

After the resignation of senior ministers Chris Bowen, Martin Ferguson and Kim Carr on Friday, questions have been raised as to whether fellow Rudd backers Anthony Albanese and Mark Butler should also quit, or be axed in next week's reshuffle.

Speaking to reporters in Murwillumbah on the NSW far north coast on Saturday, Ms Gillard would not respond to questions about the future of Mr Rudd's remaining frontbench supporters.

Asked specifically about Mr Albanese, she said the infrastructure minister and Leader of the House was "doing a good job, a fantastic job".

"He's a very valuable minister and I work very closely with him," she said.

Mental Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler was "a very able minister", she said, and "continuing to do very important work for us in some difficult areas".

Ms Gillard said despite the resignations of Mr Bowen, Mr Ferguson and Senator Carr, and the sacking of senior minister Simon Crean, she "absolutely" had enough talent at her disposal in deciding the makeup of her new cabinet.

"My problem when it comes to ministerial reshuffles is making the fine judgments about who to promote because there are so many possibilities and so many people with real ability who could step up and do the tasks before them."

Opposition leader Tony Abbott said the quartet of former ministers had "called it for Australia", showing they no longer have confidence in the Gillard government.

He again foreshadowed a motion of no confidence in the government when parliament resumes in May, but called Ms Gillard to call an election beforehand.

"It's pretty obvious that the Australian people no longer have confidence in this government," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

"It's pretty obvious that some of its senior members ... no longer have confidence in the current government.

"Martin Ferguson, Simon Crean and the others called it for Australia."

Key federal independent Andrew Wilkie said the Gillard government would struggle to survive a no-confidence motion if it did not get its act together.

Like fellow independent Bob Katter and Tony Windsor, Mr Wilkie said he had not made a decision on whether he would support the motion.

"(But) I tell you what, if the government doesn't start showing some stability and some competency I think it is going to struggle to get the numbers when that motion of no confidence does come up," he said.

"I'm keeping a very close eye on the government, all the time, but even more so now.

"And I want to see some stability and competence from this point in time."

Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson dismissed the suggestion that the government was facing defeat on the budget day confidence motion.

"The independents have indicated that they will take us, that is the government, right through to the next election," he told the Seven Network.

Greens leader Christine Milne told Mr Wilkie to "stop facilitating Tony Abbott", and instead focus on bedding down major changes such as the education reforms and tougher coal seam gas regulations.

"It would be a tragedy if Andrew Wilkie gives a leg-up to Tony Abbott and forces an early election and jeopardises all of those reforms that so many people have worked so long to achieve," Senator Milne told reporters in Hobart.

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