PM shows off her talent at baby wrangling

IT'S game on, as Julia Gillard would say, so what else was a prime minister to do? Calling the election, she reached for the nearest baby.

IT'S game on, as Julia Gillard would say, so what else was a prime minister to do? Calling the election, she reached for the nearest baby.

Ms Gillard made her first official foray on to the hustings yesterday to join Wayne Swan in his annual "welcome" to the newest constituents of Lilley and to plump up her campaign theme of population sustainability.

The weather was picture perfect as she told the voting section of the crowd - new parents - that their children deserved to inherit a lifestyle as good as they had.

While Ms Gillard doesn't have kids, she demonstrated that it hadn't stopped her from mastering the must-have political skill of baby handling.

Not a tear was shed as baby after baby came her way, to be gingerly embraced by the country's first female Prime Minister, and young couples lined up to have photographs taken with her.

Five-month-old Charlotte McColl was the first baby of the 2010 election to be kissed and cuddled by Ms Gillard. "She's a treasure," beaming mum Darlene McColl said, referring to her daughter, not the PM.

Another mother, Vanessa Gibson, said: "She is very friendly but, you know, we will make our decision on policy rather than baby kisses."