Julia Gillard is cancelled as states say Prime Minister is totally Gonski Prime Minister Julia Gillard / Pic: Lyndon Mechielsen Source: The Daily Telegraph JULIA Gillard was locked out of a televised show she was to appear on with British comedian Ben Elton in a Perth school last night after West Australian Premier Colin Barnett ordered the Education Department to cancel it. The bizarre shutdown came with little explanation, apart from a notification from the Barnett government that it had banned the show from being held in a school hall. The Labor Party is considering legal action against the West Australia government. The incident came on the same day School Education Minister Peter Garrett received similar treatment in Queensland, where he was to spruik Gonski reforms before the state banned him. Much to Garrett's surprise, the government prevented him from visiting local schools - telling him it was fed up with their "schoolchildren being used as props" in a political campaign. The Daily Telegraph understands Mr Barnett personally asked his Education Department Director-General to cancel the show - A Conversation with Ben Elton - despite the event having been billed publicly and contracts signed. The move was labelled a deliberate and politically motivated attempt to embarrass the Prime Minister. It came as the PM defied calls from senior colleagues for her to step down and prepared to challenge them to blast her out of office. Senior Gillard supporters are believed to have advised her to reject any attempt by a delegation of senior Labor figures to ask her to go quietly, should it happen, and challenge them to bring on a spill if they want her gone. The Daily Telegraph understands Ms Gillard's Praetorian Guard, Deputy PM Wayne Swan and senior Cabinet ministers Stephen Conroy and Craig Emerson, advised her hold firm - a move which designed to send a warning to Bill Shorten that if he switched camps he would have to lead a very public and bloody spill. Kevin Rudd has said he will not challenge or be a candidate in a spill. He would only take the job if the PM vacated it. She will call their bluff. And they will have to force her out through a spill," one senior Gillard supporter said. And Bill is unlikely to want to be a part of that. Mr Shorten has not fronted the media since speculation began his support for Ms Gillard was wavering. The same strategy was used when Bob Hawke was visited by senior colleagues and told he should resign - a move Mr Hawke angrily rejected, calling on a spill which he narrowly won. He was eventually cut down in a second spill. Ms Gillard yesterday issued her own challenge to those in her party who want her gone. I am the best person to lead the Labor Party. Government is about getting things done. I will certainly be leading Labor at the election and I will be taking to that election the clearest possible choice between a government that is investing in our nation's future," she said. Follow Daily Telegraph Political Editor Simon Benson on Twitter Like The Daily Telegraph on Facebook