Minchin questions PM's No.1 priority

Kevin Rudd's New Year resolution should be to make up his mind exactly what is his number one priority for the nation, the opposition says.

The prime minister seems to give number one priority status to a different issue depending on who he is talking to, senior Liberal Nick Minchin says.

Senator Minchin says Mr Rudd's new year's resolution should be to decide which issue matters most.

"When announcing the new National Security College Mr Rudd claimed a safe and secure Australia is the governments first priority, yet on November 5 he told the ABC's Jon Faine that managing the global financial crisis was first priority," Senator Minchin wrote in an opinion piece at thepunch.com.au.

"In the space of six weeks, Mr Rudd nominated three number one priorities. But if you look back to March, he got up in front of (the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and declared that jobs were our first national priority."

Senator Minchin said it was all a desperate attempt to retain power.

"This approach is simply not sustainable over the longer term and for Mr Rudd the cracks continue to appear as he gains a reputation for all talk and no action."