Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been acting prime minister for at least 20 per cent of Labor's nine months in office but said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s many trips abroad are in national interest.
Mr Rudd was in New Zealand today en route to the Pacific Island Forum in Niue, having only just got back last week from a trip to China, Singapore and South Korea.
"When the prime minister travels overseas, he does it because it's important in our national interest to be there," Ms Gillard told Sky News.
"The circumstances of our Pacific Island neighbours matter to us and it's appropriate that he is there at that major forum."
She said Australia was located in the fastest growing region in the world and needed good links with its neighbours as economic growth continues.
"We need to have security and other dialogue with our neighbours and the prime minister has been doing that," Ms Gillard, who is also education and workplace relations minister, said.
When asked if she was now in the box seat as a future prime minister, Ms Gillard said she is very happy being deputy prime minister.
"I love the job I'm doing, it's the job I wanted.
"I wanted to be there delivering our education revolution, I wanted to be there to deliver a fair and balanced industrial relations system.
"This is the job for me, and this is the job I'm very much enjoying."
