The national surveys may have been unkind to the Gillard Government but a key cabinet member believes the ruling party will stick it out with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The new Fairfax-Nielsen survey over the weekend pointed anew to Labor's looming defeat next year but according to Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, Ms Gillard will remain at the forefront of the ruling party despite indications that many voters would want Kevin Rudd to reclaim leadership of the Labor government.

The latest polls showed that 62 percent of those queried gave their thumbs up to the former prime minister, who took the backbench in February when his aspirations to lead Labor again was resoundingly defeated, while Ms Gillard only mustered support of 32 percent,

Ms Roxon told ABC on Monday that she was absolutely certain Ms Gillard will remain at the helm of the federal government, pointing out that poll numbers do not necessarily reflect what the first female Prime Minister of Australia is capable of.

"She's incredibly strong, incredibly decent," Ms Roxon told Macquarie Radio today in describing her embattled boss.

She admitted, however, that as a team, the Labor government will have to work doubly hard to get message of governance across and convince ordinary Aussies that federal authorities have been looking after the nation's foremost interests.

Hopefully, more efforts from Labor could stave off the spectre of a change in government next year as Fairfax showed the Coalition still enjoys a 22-point margin over Labor's 26 percent.

On a two-party preferred basis, Labor also lags as 57 percent of voters would go for a Coalition government if elections were held today, with Ms Gillard and her team managing only to collect 43 percent of support.

Labor's only consolation is that while Aussies appear to prefer a Liberal-National government, their distaste for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott seems climbing as days go by.

To date, 57 percent of those polled disapproved of Mr Abbott, his numbers just three-point shy of the 60 percent dissatisfaction rating that voters has given to Ms Gillard.

Observers noted that as in the last Newspoll survey, the Liberal headliner has been successful so far in turning away prospective supporters of the Coalition, the Nielsen survey this time showing him dropping by five points in the department.

And if voters would have their way, they want Malcolm Turnbull to re-assume leadership of the Liberals, with about 61 percent of those polled expressing their support for him while Mr Abbot only gathered 34 percent, Fairfax said.

The new data was released as union groups geared up to ramp up their campaign against Labor's recent decision of allowing iron ore billionaire Gina Rinehart to recruit foreign workers for the $9.5 billion Roy Hill project, leaving Ms Gillard's hand again full of thorny issues to deal with.