- 26 Jun 2013 10:52
#14261629
Rudd has Won the Leadership spill. 
KEVIN Rudd will lead Labor into the election after defeating Julia Gillard 57-45 in a leadership spill.
It’s understood Cabinet Ministers Wayne Swan, Stephen Conroy, Craig Emerson, Joe Ludwig have quit the frontbench.
The ballot result was confirmed by caucus returning officer Chris Hayes.
The vote came after weeks of uncertainty with the Prime Minister challenging Mr Rudd to a ballot at 4.30pm today.
Ms Gillard had demanded the loser of the ballot must resign from parliament to resolve Labor's leadership crisis once and for all.
''I believe anybody who enters the ballot tonight should do it on the following condition,'' she told Sky News.
''If you win you are Labor leader. If you lose, you retire from politics.''
She said she would abide by the condition, leaving parliament at the election if she lost.
Mr Rudd accepted the challenge, agreeing to Ms Gillard's conditions.
The result now means Ms Gillard will quit the parliament and retire from politics after the election.
Cabinet Minister and Labor powerbroker Bill Shorten had thrown his support behind Kevin Rudd to become the party’s leader in a move expected to seal Julia Gillard's fate.
He said a switch to Mr Rudd as leader would give Labor the best chance of beating Tony Abbott and defending the government's achievements.
The former staunch supporter of Ms Gillard, who played a key role in deposing Mr Rudd in 2010, said he had informed Ms Gillard of his decision.
''I have now come to the view that Labor stands the best chance to defend the legacy of this term of government and to continue improving the lives of millions of Australians if Kevin Rudd is our leader,'' Mr Shorten said.
He made the announcement with 20 minutes to go before the caucus leadership ballot.
Mr Shorten is believed to control just a handful of votes, but his decision is highly symbolic and a major blow to the Prime Minister's chances of retaining her job.
He said the future of the nation and the Labor Party were at stake.
“I believe the Australian people want a choice at this coming election. I believe that Kevin Rudd leading us to this election will provide Australians, my colleagues and those who support the Labor Party, the best chance of Labor winning office after this election.”
Mr Rudd has accepted Ms Gillard’s challenge to stand for the Labor leadership, declaring he will retire from politics if he loses the ballot.
The former prime minister warned Labor faced a ''catastrophic defeat'' if Ms Gillard remained leader.
The Prime Minister has called a leadership spill for 7pm in an attempt to finish off Kevin Rudd's political career once and for all.
Ms Gillard's decision to call a snap spill followed a meeting in her office with loyalist ministers Wayne Swan, Warren Snowdon, Jenny Macklin, Brendan O'Connor and Stephen Smith.
A Rudd supporter meanwhile says Mr Rudd has 55-60 votes in the 102-member Labor caucus and the numbers are growing.
Mr Rudd said he had been convinced to stand by colleagues and at the urging of tens of thousands of Australians who were afraid of what an Abbott government would do, including reviving Work Choices under another name.
''People are afraid, they are very afraid, that they're going to do it again,'' he said.
Mr Rudd freely admitted he had changed his position, overturning previous guarantees not to stand against Ms
Gillard, and he would be judged on that.
Should he win the ballot, Mr Rudd said he would work with any current ministers who wished to serve in his government.
Mr Rudd said it was time for the leadership question to finally be resolved.
It was the voices of the Australian people that had influenced most influenced his decision, he said.
''It is those voices that have had a huge effect on m. -- more so than most of the voices I happen to hear around the corridors of this building,'' Mr Rudd said.
The Prime Minister has demanded the loser of the ballot must resign from parliament to resolve Labor's leadership crisis once and for all.
''I believe anybody who enters the ballot tonight should do it on the following condition,'' she told Sky News.
''If you win you are Labor leader. If you lose, you retire from politics.''
She said she would abide by the condition, leaving parliament at the election if she lost.
Ms Gillard said no leader should have to face ongoing internal destabilisation, ''so tonight, this is it''.
''I am asking my political party to endorse me as a leader and prime minister of purpose,'' she said.
''People will make their decision. But, having made their decision, it is over.''
''Anyone who believes they should be Labor leader should put themselves forward for this ballot,'' Ms Gillard said.
The move forces the Rudd camp to bring forward their preferred timetable for a challenge. They had hoped to engineer a special caucus meeting tomorrow and a challenge on Friday.
“I am asking my political party to endorse me as a leader and Prime Minister of purpose,'' she said
“I accept responsibility for my own conduct. People need to accept responsibility for their conduct.
“I am aware how debilitating this nonsense is for my political party, for my parliamentary colleagues.''
The original plan was to circulate the petition tomorrow to call a special caucus meeting on Thursday evening, with the objective of a leadership ballot on Friday.
Reports that the petition was already circulating caused panic among Julia Gillard's supporters as they realised the Rudd camp had the numbers not only to call a special caucus meeting but to defeat Ms Gillard.
Mr Rudd, who was torn down as prime minister three years ago, is under immense pressure to contest the ballot. However, his office maintains he still intends to board a flight to China on Thursday night.
Earlier a spokesman for Labor powerbroker Bill Shorten, who was crucial to Ms Gillard gaining the leadership in 2010, told AAP on Wednesday: ''The minister's position has not changed and he will not be adding to the media speculation on this matter.''
A fellow former Australian Workers Union official and key Right faction member, Senator Matt Thistlethwaite, said he had not seen the petition and would not sign it if asked.
''I'm behind the prime minister,'' Senator Thistlethwaite told Sky News.
Asked what message he had for pro-Rudd MPs circulating the petition, he said: ''I say get on with the job, let's get back to talking about policy.''
Independent MP Andrew Wilke has been sounded out by Rudd supporters on whether he would back Labor under Mr Rudd in any confidence motion.
But Mr Wilkie has refused to give any guarantees, saying he will assess the situation if and when the leadership changes.
In Question Time, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott asked Ms Gillard if, given the "paralysis" gripping the government over her leadership, she would call an earlier election on August 3.
"I can assure him and I can assure the Australian people that as prime minister I am getting on with the job and that is what the government is doing," she told the house during question time on Wednesday.
Ms Gillard went on to talk about Labor's schools funding reforms, which passed the Senate earlier in the day, and accused Mr Abbott of continuous negativity ahead of the September 14 polls.
"I certainly believe the Australian people will vote for a stronger, smarter, fairer Australia under a Labor government," she said.
Mr Abbott then moved a motion to suspend standing orders and called on the government to "end its internal arguments and actually get on with governing this country."
"And if it can't, to restore the selection of the prime minister to the people," he said.
Mr Abbott said conversations were taking place inside corridors and plotting was occurring inside offices, signalling yet another deal within the Labor Party involving the faceless men, he said.
"Well I say the public are sick of the deals behind closed doors, the public are sick of the incompetence, they're sick of the deception, what they want is their chance to determine the future of the country," Mr Abbott said.
"What they want is their chance to vote for a government, and to decide who should be prime minister of this country.
"And they deserve it, and they deserve it sooner than it will happen under the current prime minster."
Mr Abbott said the government and prime ministers had demonstrated sheer incompetence.
It had failed to get its spending under control and its mining tax raised a faction of the promised revenue.
"And then there is the disaster on our borders," he said.
Mr Abbott said neither Ms Gillard or Mr Rudd had a clue on how to stop the boats.
"The only way to resolve the disaster on our borders is to put in place a strong government led by ministers who know what they are doing," he said.
Mr Abbott said minority government hadn't worked and Australians should not have to limp on for another 80 days.
"We have seen enough! Why should we limp on for another 80 days?" he told parliament.
"This is such a great country, we are such a proud people, we have such a great future but it is time the people of Australia were allowed to choose their government," he said.
Labor Leader of the House Anthony Albanese said the government was getting on with important legislation like the schools bill and a bill to tighten the 457 skilled immigration visa scheme.
"We have seen reforms pass this house because we have been prepared to engage in the serious policy debates" he said.
Mr Albanese said Mr Abbott was on the "longest dummy spit in Australian political history" because he didn't become prime minister after the the hung parliament in 2010.
"They (think they) are born to rule, these Tories opposite," he said.
Mr Abbott said the "tremors of leadership change" were shaking the foundations of parliament.
"Well I say, let's debate it honestly within this chamber. Let the Prime Minister say honestly why she should retain the job. Let the member for Griffiths say why he should be given the job, but above all else, let the Australian people have their chance to decide who should be prime minister of this country," Mr Abbott said.
Mr Abbott added: "Let's bring on the election".
Christopher Pyne said he was sorry to have to second the motion but Labor's internal disputes had made Australia the laughing stock of our region.
"The faceless men of the ALP, desperate to scramble onto any floating device believe if they execute the prime minister politically, they may save themselves and the little bit of power they hold in the Labor caucus," Mr Pyne said.
He said Kevin Rudd had continually undermined the government at every turn, having wasted all the chances given to him by his party with his "deeply demeaning attitude to others".
"How could he lead a party that has refused to be led by him before?"
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6670119125
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