Abbott, sexism debate fires up Gillard IF there's one factor behind the determination of Australia's first female prime minister to cling to the leadership, it's the phrase "Prime Minister Tony Abbott." While Abbott is doing his best to appear moderate and more positive, Gillard is desperately seeking to fire up a lacklustre Labor support base. One issue that brings together Gillard's personal motivation and a potential rallying point for Labor is sexism, due concerns in some quarters about Abbott's stance on women's issues. So this week represented something of a perfect storm for Gillard, who - rightly or wrongly - firmly believes Abbott's coalition will turn back the clock on women. It began with her brief but inflammatory speech at the Sydney launch of a new Labor support group, Women for Gillard. She pointedly joked about Liberal "men in blue ties" running Australia and dug through Abbott's past record as health minister on the abortion drug RU486 and broader remarks on abortion. The speech got a mixed reception, with some prominent feminists dismissing it as over the top and others hailing it a strong follow up to Gillard's internationally recognised "misogynist" speech to parliament in 2012, also aimed at Abbott. While the speech would have come and gone quickly in the frantic modern media cycle, it was given added impetus when a riled shadow treasurer Joe Hockey tweeted: "She has never deserved respect and will never receive it." This prompted a Brisbane chef to distribute a menu written by a restaurant owner whose venue hosted a fundraising dinner for Mal Brough - the former Howard government minister who's trying to return to parliament via the Queensland seat of Fisher. The menu included the dish: "Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail - Small Breast, Huge Thighs & A Big Red (word deleted)..." Abbott condemned the wording, and Brough - already under scrutiny over his role in the Ashby-Slipper sexual harassment case - apologised for offence caused to the PM. The restaurant owner also said his joke menu wasn't distributed at the function on the night. Gillard went on to accuse Abbott and the Liberals of a "pattern of behaviour" in denigrating women, warning a lack of respect for women would be "littered through all of his government policy documents." It's not just an issue for the coalition. Labor was on the ropes last year when a comedian hired by the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union made an unreportable joke at a dinner about the opposition leader and his long-term chief of staff Peta Credlin. The dinner was attended by senior ministers including Treasurer Wayne Swan, who later said they were appalled by it. The latest outbreak of the political gender wars come at a critical time for Gillard - who's leadership is again under threat. The final fortnight of federal parliament sittings, starting on Monday, is likely to see barbs thrown from both sides over sexism and misogyny. Coalition strategists believe Labor's attempt to use a gender war to ramp up its female vote won't work. They point to Gillard's support last year for then-Speaker Peter Slipper, even though court documents alleged he had used a specifically vulgar term in reference to women. She's been denounced by welfare groups for forcing single mothers onto the lower paying Newstart allowance. While she's backed Nova Peris as Labor's Northern Territory Senate candidate, she hasn't supported female candidates in the safe lower house seats of Gellibrand and Batman. However, Labor strategists believe Gillard's gender war is a winner with women. In the May Nielsen poll, Gillard led Abbott 49-43 per cent among women in terms of preferred prime minister, while among men Abbott led Gillard 48-42 per cent. Labor's internal polling is believed to show its female support is six percentage points higher than for men, in two-party terms. The party's also playing on concerns Abbott - who once described abortion as "the easy way out" - could support Victorian Democratic Labor Party Senator John Madigan's push to remove Medicare funding for abortions used for gender selection. Senator Madigan could hold the balance of power in the Senate with other conservatives after the election. But Abbott, the father of three daughters, has ruled out any policy change on abortion and has publicly agreed his previous statements should have been better framed. The prime minister remains weighed down by the fact Labor's primary vote has hovered around a dismal 32 per cent for most of this election year. However, the return of Kevin Rudd to the leadership looks unlikely, despite talk of fresh number-counting. Rudd this week proved a popular figure in Labor marginal seats as he roamed streets and shopping centres, taking potshots at Abbott and posing for "selfies" with the public. But he's still telling supporters he won't return to the ALP leadership. A spokesman confirmed Mr Rudd stood by his March "no circumstances" statement. The combined effect of a high-profile Rudd and an "energised" Gillard will be seen in the opinion polls due next week. For now, Labor is putting its faith - for better or worse - in Gillard to terminate the coalition's unrelenting march toward victory.