Despite the sinking popularity of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, her longtime partner, Tim Mathieson, appears puzzled by the barrage of criticism aimed at the beleaguered Labor stalwart, especially attacks coming from women.

Mathieson said he was unperturbed by Gillard's low approval ratings in recent opinion polls but he admitted that nasty attacks on her were unsettling.

He noted that most of the hurtful words hurled against Gillard emanated from a sector of society he least expected.

Mathieson said he expected the first female prime minister of Australia to have more support from the female populace.

Bullying from the boys is almost expected, Mathieson said, but the catty criticisms coming from some women were shocking and puzzling.

"She gets as big a hard time from women as well ... I just think they should probably think, would they like it to happen to them? ... Would they like being called some nasty names?" he told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

But as for Gillard, he said: "She's pretty tough and resilient, she just gets up and goes about it."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott agreed, describing the prime minister as "a very tough politician, and in the Parliament it's a take-no--prisoners, give-no-quarter business."

Yet Abbott maintained that most of the criticisms of the Labor leader came her way not because she's a woman but because she's the leader of the country, making her fair game.

Meanwhile, the man many had thought might grab Gillard's job declared categorically Thursday that he's not interested.

Speaking at a conference in San Francisco, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd downplayed suggestions that his soaring popularity back in Australia could give him another shot at the job he lost last year to Gillard.

In a report by The Associated Press, Rudd simply replied 'No' when asked about the possibility of a return to Canberra as prime minister.