Australia's federal opposition leader, Tony Abbott, has been talking up the women in his life before the country goes to the polls next month, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Abbott told a Liberal Party conference in Perth his life is full of strong women — his wife Margaret, who flew to Western Australia to be with him at the event, his three daughters and female chief of staff and press secretary.
He was talking up his credentials as a female-friendly candidate after two new polls showed Julia Gillard's popularity with women is harnessing the female vote. She became the country's first female prime minister on June 24 after then leader Kevin Rudd stepped down.
Abbott has historically had problems attracting women voters and the latest polls show this has not changed. The latest Neilson poll puts Labor ahead of the coalition 54 per cent to 46 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
A conservative Catholic who once briefly trained as a Catholic priest, he has consistently voted against relaxing laws on abortion, same-sex marriages and stem cell research. He also supports tough immigration policies. Australia will hold its election on August 21.
