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Monday May 21, 2012

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Rudd resigns as Foreign Minister

Posted by: 2UE | 22 February, 2012 - 6:14 PM
Former PM Kevin Rudd spends over a million on travel this year

Kevin Rudd has resigned as Foreign Minister saying he can no longer continue in the role, and will decide his future over the weekend. Will he challenge the PM or will he cause a by-election? What is the future for Labor?

Mr Rudd has accused the "faceless men" of striking again, just as they did when they removed as Prime Minister in 2010. He says he can no longer serve Julia Gillard after she failed to repudiate MPs who labelled him disloyal.

Kevin Rudd has also hinted he doesn't think Julia Gillard can win the next Federal election.

Mr Rudd will fly back to Brisbane and consult colleagues about his future. He's is yet to clarify whether he'll mount a challenge to Julia Gillard, but says his fellow Labor MPs have some issues to work through.

 

 

Michael Pachi reports Mr Rudd will return immediately and will consider a leadership challenge after declaring he can't continue as Foreign Minister without the support of the PM.

 

Australian Political Scientist and Election Analyst Professor Dean Jaensch from Flinders University with the Two Murrays on the resignation and the hypothetical question over the move, and where to next for Kevin Rudd.

 

Treasurer Wayne Swan says Kevin Rudd wasted the opportunities the Labor Party gave him.

"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," Mr Swan said in a statement on Wednesday.

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said Mr Rudd should have made his announcement on Australian soil rather than from nearly 16,000 kilometres away in Washington.

In a statement issued almost three hours after Mr Rudd announced his resignation, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she is disappointed that the concerns he has publicly expressed were never personally raised with her.

Ms Gillard says Mr Rudd was a strong and effective advocate for Australia's interests overseas, who had many achievements as foreign minister.

She said she would hold a media conference on Thursday to make further comments on the issue.

Jason Morrison says Kevin Rudd has caught the Prime Minister off guard and left her in a position where her supporters are rattled. If he loses round one, he'll be on the backbench awaiting her mistakes.

 

Jason Morrison speaks with two Kevin Rudd supporters, with supporters of Julia Gillard not speaking with the media. Bruce Hawker says the caucus needs to ask themselves who can beat Tony Abbott at the next election, and Doug Cameron on how Kevin Rudd kept the nation afloat during the global financial crisis.

 

Independent MP Tony Windsor says if Labor changes its leadership it might be time to call an early election.

Mr Windsor, one of the group of independents whose support allows the minority Labor government to remain in power, says he stands by his statement that all bets are off if the leadership goes to Kevin Rudd.

He says he came to an agreement with Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a choice between her and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Leaving Washington Kevin Rudd outlines his plans when he returns to Australia speaking with the media on the future of the Labor Party.

 

As things stand Julia Gillard is set to convincingly win Monday's ballot, but its unlikely Mr Rudd will sit quietly on the backbench.

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Blog comments Your Say

  • @john golding, the Phony Abbott and LIEberal party would like that, wouldn't they? Why bother with policies and process if you can sneak in by default?

    But the LIEberal party is in for a surprise if they don't drop their love for brain dead people like Phony Abbott, JuLIE Bishop, Morrison and Jockey. Time for Turnbull to make a move.

    I would like to see Turnbull vs Rudd so we can see some engagement of ideas rather than vitriol.

    Terrence Thursday 23 February, 2012 - 11:42 PM

  • The only way to reslove thia is for Rudd to resign as a politician and as a consequence have a byelection and then julia gillard and when swan and the coalition whom are all really self serving demonstrate by a vote that actually mean something to the people of australia andthat they are doing what they are doing for the betterment of us and this great country

    john golding Thursday 23 February, 2012 - 11:04 AM

  • "THERE WILL BE NO CARBON TAX UNDER THE GOVERNMENT I LEAD"
    It has become glaringly obvious that the entire slime green Labor government are very dangerously stupid people not fit to govern. The Labor biased Governor General Ms. Quentin Bryce must get off her lazy self-serving arse and call a necessary election.
    There is "no global warming" the electorate overwhelmingly are dead against Labor's fraudulent, forced carbon dioxide tax scam. Our jobs are rapidly closing down because of Labor. Our farmers are being ruined because of Labor. Our manufacturing is disintegrating because of Labor. Business confidence has been badly damaged because of Labor. The illegal boats are invading Australia seriously jeopardizing our security, only because of Labor etc... ELECTION!!!!
    Liberal-Tony Abbott is the hope of Australia.

    Lulu Thursday 23 February, 2012 - 10:30 AM

  • Conroy said today, Rudd had contempt for the Cabinet, contempt for Parliament, and the people,while the equally scathing Swann accused Rudd of being an ego-driven self-centred, disloyal person. But they couldn't get rid of him, now could they??? No, they just let this farce go on and on because they needed Rudd's vote to stay in Government. Hypocrites, every single one of them. Even if there is a ballot and Rudd looses, they are all now exposed for what they are. The 'whatever it takes' mob of shoddy liars and schemers who don't give a hoot about the country, it's all about THEM.
    Election now! Re-cycling won't do it, we have had enough of this nonesense!

    Susan Thursday 23 February, 2012 - 8:30 AM

  • I am SOOOO happy,just listening & watching these two mongrels fight it out.
    Hopefully it will be the end of both of them.
    If he wins he won't forget the traitors,they won't be able to work with him.
    Like to see some of the arrogant & patronising smirks tonight. I hope that Tim clown is packing his bags.

    Helen Thursday 23 February, 2012 - 1:19 AM

  • We have an abhorrent loathed PM who is a compulsive liar, who cannot be trusted.
    We have a govt that deliberately implements policys against the will of the people that insults the people and shows contempt for the people.
    We have a former PM who has the exact policies against the will of the people & who has ONLY tried to promote himself at the expense of the people to become Ruler of the World at the UN!
    The fraudulent Carbon Tax SCAM is a HOAX to control the people & deliberately increase ALL costs of living.
    Rudd, JuLIAR & the LIEbor Greens Party are a disgrace & must be shown the door for their monumental deception.
    Their deliberate socialist agenda to open our borders to unidentified economic opportunists IS treacherous and NOTHING can save them.
    The people are well aware of the deception of this despicable party that will say & do anything to stay in power.
    The people demand a new election & are totally over the mud slinging, power play & rotten $billion dollar policies failures & debt.
    Rudd & JuLIAR are ruthless, arrogant, self serving, manipulating, conniving, untrustworthy, egotists, dictatorial, grandiose self preservationists & are both detrimental to all Australians.
    Give the people a new election, we do NOT want or trust either of you or anyone in the LIEbor Greens.

    Untrustworthy LIEbor Party! Thursday 23 February, 2012 - 12:58 AM

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