I'll do it my way, declares Julia Gillard

JULIA Gillard is preparing to put her personal stamp on a life as Prime Minister and living at The Lodge.

JULIA Gillard is preparing to put her personal stamp on a life as Prime Minister and living at The Lodge.

This will include selecting her own ministry and having partner Tim Mathieson give up work to be a full-time "first bloke".

In a forthright election-eve interview, the Prime Minister made it clear she would follow Kevin Rudd's practice of asserting her right to choose her ministers without a partyroom vote, and said she personally opposed same-sex marriage on cultural grounds.

Ms Gillard also declared that conflict of interest would not be an issue for her partner, a sales consultant for a Melbourne property developer, because they would do whatever was necessary to avoid any conflict of interest, including being prepared for Mr Mathieson to give up his job.

After reports that Labor figures believed Mr Mathieson should give up his employment with Melbourne developer Albert Dadon, Ms Gillard told The Australian it was appropriate for a forensic media examination in relation to conflict of interest.

"We will obviously make any arrangement that's necessary to deal with any conflict-of-interest issues, including Tim deciding not to work if that is what is necessary," Ms Gillard told The Australian yesterday. "On conflict-of-interest issues, I accept there should be absolutely forensic and full and proper scrutiny -- I think that is right," she said. But she objected to media inquiries about Mr Mathieson's adult children.

"There are obviously some things involving family members that I think are not for political scrutiny," she said.

Ms Gillard went further than her recital of stated Labor Party policy on the issue of same-sex marriage, saying her opposition was personal and based on her acceptance of this country's cultural and religious heritage.

"My position is -- and it's the Labor Party's position -- that for this nation, with our heritage as a Christian country, with what's defined us and continues to define us, the Marriage Act has a special status in our culture and for our community. My position appreciates that," she said.

"I respect the right of the Labor Party to work through these issues, but in our society the Marriage Act has a special place," she said.

Ms Gillard said she would, as Prime Minister, continue Mr Rudd's practice of selecting her ministry rather than having a partyroom vote, a practice Gough Whitlam introduced in 1972.

She also vowed to run a collegiate cabinet where everyone worked as a team and strengthened the decision-making process by having "many eyes and many minds" addressing issues.

Before Mr Rudd was replaced by Ms Gillard as prime minister, there had been complaints within the government that the former prime minister's management style had been disrupting the government's ability to make decisions.