Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard is celebrating her first year in government with almost 60 percent of citizens wary of extending support to reforms she wanted to undertake specifically a carbon emissions tax deemed unpopular in an economy fuelled by the mining sector.

The beleaguered Prime Minister said in a radio interview this morning that she did not mean to misinform the Australian people when she stated a year ago that she would not put a price on carbon.

"I've explained of course to the Australian people that I never meant to mislead anybody during the last election campaign about carbon pricing," Ms Gillard told ABC Radio.

Ms Gillard noted that what she always adhere to is that there must be a best way of putting a price on carbon either by putting a cap or an acceptable trade scheme.

"We're going to get there through a path I didn't expect during the election campaign of a fixed price period for around three to five years," Ms Gillard said.

"So yes, the route to the objective is different.

"When I said those words in the election campaign I didn't mean to mislead anybody and I understand that people heard those words and they look at what's happening now and they perhaps say: 'What's going on? What did she mean then? What does she mean now'?"

Ms Gillard pointed out that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott would say anything to scare Australians about pricing carbon.

"Tony Abbott is out there making ridiculous claims day after day about job losses, about price increases," she said.

"He doesn't care about the truth in this debate. The claims he makes are false.

"It's part of saying to the Australian people: 'Actually, you the Australian nation, you're not up to reforming. You're not up to grappling the future. You're not up to this. Be afraid. Stay with me in the past'," Ms Gillard said.

When asked how she would celebrate her year in office after she unseated Mr Kevin Rudd, Ms Gillard said it would be "a day of more work as prime minister."

She added that she would work on programs that would take advantage of the resources boom in the country.

"The resources boom is a good thing but I want to make sure we manage this phase of economic growth so we see opportunity right around the country," she said.

"So that is my focus today and my determination each and every day to do this job."

The prime minister will later today address this weekend's West Australian Labour conference in Perth.