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Australian foreign minister resigns in leadership rift
Source: Agencies |
February 23, 2012, Thursday
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AUSTRALIA'S foreign minister resigned yesterday in a bitter rift with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who may poll party lawmakers next week on who should lead the country.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced his resignation during a news conference in Washington, where he was visiting on official business, saying speculation that he planned to seize power from Gillard had become a distraction.
"I can only serve as foreign minister if I have the confidence of Prime Minister Gillard and her senior ministers," Rudd said.
Gillard ousted Rudd as prime minister in June 2010 in an internal coup, and their center-left Labor Party scraped through elections later that year to lead a minority government. Polls suggest Labor would suffer a devastating defeat, but Gillard says she has colleagues' support.
Gillard is due to hold a news conference today to "make a further statement" on Rudd's resignation. Media reports and current and former Labor lawmakers said she will announce a leadership ballot of party lawmakers on Monday.
A Rudd supporter, Senator Doug Cameron, said a Monday poll would be unfair as Rudd would not have time to canvass support. "It's clear that some senior ministers are intent on putting a stake through Kevin Rudd's heart," Cameron told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.
Rudd left open the option of quitting politics, which would trigger a by-election and could cost Labor its single-seat majority in Parliament.
In apparent anticipation of a Rudd bid for the party's leadership, Gillard deputy Wayne Swan issued scathing criticism of the former prime minister.
"For too long, Kevin Rudd has been putting his own self-interest ahead of the interests of the broader Labor movement and the country as a whole, and that needs to stop," he said.
Gillard said the resignation took her by surprise. "I am disappointed that the concerns Mr Rudd has publicly expressed this evening were never personally raised with me, nor did he contact me to discuss his resignation prior to his decision," she said.
Rudd said he planned to fly back to Australia today. But in his resignation speech, he was highly critical of Labor's attacks. "I can promise you this: There is no way - no way - that I will ever be party to a stealth attack on a sitting prime minister elected by the people," Rudd said.
"We all know that what happened then was wrong and it must never happen again."
Many Australians were angry when the government dumped Rudd, who was swept into office as prime minister in 2007.
Labor lawmakers moved against Rudd in 2010 because opinion polls suggested they were unlikely to win elections that year under his leadership.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced his resignation during a news conference in Washington, where he was visiting on official business, saying speculation that he planned to seize power from Gillard had become a distraction.
"I can only serve as foreign minister if I have the confidence of Prime Minister Gillard and her senior ministers," Rudd said.
Gillard ousted Rudd as prime minister in June 2010 in an internal coup, and their center-left Labor Party scraped through elections later that year to lead a minority government. Polls suggest Labor would suffer a devastating defeat, but Gillard says she has colleagues' support.
Gillard is due to hold a news conference today to "make a further statement" on Rudd's resignation. Media reports and current and former Labor lawmakers said she will announce a leadership ballot of party lawmakers on Monday.
A Rudd supporter, Senator Doug Cameron, said a Monday poll would be unfair as Rudd would not have time to canvass support. "It's clear that some senior ministers are intent on putting a stake through Kevin Rudd's heart," Cameron told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.
Rudd left open the option of quitting politics, which would trigger a by-election and could cost Labor its single-seat majority in Parliament.
In apparent anticipation of a Rudd bid for the party's leadership, Gillard deputy Wayne Swan issued scathing criticism of the former prime minister.
"For too long, Kevin Rudd has been putting his own self-interest ahead of the interests of the broader Labor movement and the country as a whole, and that needs to stop," he said.
Gillard said the resignation took her by surprise. "I am disappointed that the concerns Mr Rudd has publicly expressed this evening were never personally raised with me, nor did he contact me to discuss his resignation prior to his decision," she said.
Rudd said he planned to fly back to Australia today. But in his resignation speech, he was highly critical of Labor's attacks. "I can promise you this: There is no way - no way - that I will ever be party to a stealth attack on a sitting prime minister elected by the people," Rudd said.
"We all know that what happened then was wrong and it must never happen again."
Many Australians were angry when the government dumped Rudd, who was swept into office as prime minister in 2007.
Labor lawmakers moved against Rudd in 2010 because opinion polls suggested they were unlikely to win elections that year under his leadership.
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