STEPHEN SMITH stated his support for Julia Gillard's leadership yesterday and then had breakfast with the ALP powerbroker and kingmaker, Graham Richardson.
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While Ms Gillard and the bulk of her ministry were in the Northern Territory yesterday morning following a community cabinet meeting the night before, Mr Smith, the Defence Minister, was spotted by a Herald source ''having a deep and meaningful'' in Georges Cafe in Sydney's Piccadilly Arcade.
Nothing should be read into the breakfast meeting, Mr Smith said, through his spokesman. The Defence Minister rarely made it to Sydney, Mr Richardson was an old friend and they caught up for coffee.
Two weeks ago, Mr Richardson, who has boasted of playing a key role in bringing down Kevin Rudd, predicted Ms Gillard would lose the next election.
He claimed people had stopped listening to the Prime Minster and that she was unable to empathise with heartland voters. ''I just can't see it happening,'' he said of a Labor win. ''You get to a point when people simply stop listening.''
However, Mr Richardson said another leadership change ''is just not on''. ''She will not be dumped, she will not resign of her own accord, she will be there until the next election,'' he said.
There is no meaningful talk of a leadership change in the ALP caucus, with MPs prepared to give Ms Gillard more time to turn around her government's flagging fortunes.
The Liberal Party has long been conducting private polling on Mr Smith, convinced that should Labor change leaders again, it would be such a desperate act the party would opt for someone experienced and safe like Mr Smith or Wayne Swan, rather than somebody raw and untested like Greg Combet or Bill Shorten.
Before meeting Mr Richardson yesterday, Mr Smith told ABC Radio National that ''this is a long-haul race'' and Ms Gillard was doing a very good job in tough circumstances.
''We are working our way through a range of tough reforms. In the end [Ms Gillard] will be the prime minister who'll take us to the next polls.
''I wouldn't be making judgments about our political fate just yet.''
A spokesman for Mr Smith would not comment last night on reports the minister's RAAF flight had been hit by a laser on approach to Sydney airport, temporarily blinding the co-pilot.
