By Samantha Maiden
From: Sunday Herald Sun
December 04, 2011 12:07AM
Kevin Rudd pictured at the national Labor party conference. Picture: Renee Nowytarger Source: Herald Sun
Kevin Rudd has fuelled speculation of a new leadership plot, failing to deny he is working to undermine Julia Gillard, left. Source: The Australian
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KEVIN Rudd still has "the ticker" to tackle Julia Gillard for the prime ministership and is preparing to challenge within months.
Despite a belief that Mr Rudd's ambitions had been put on ice following a recent turnaround in fortunes for Julia Gillard, supporters of the deposed PM want him to move on her before next year's Budget in May.
"Kevin has never wanted for ticker when it comes to taking on the leadership," one Labor MP told the Sunday Herald Sun.
Mr Rudd's resolve is said to have firmed after being humiliated at the ALP national conference.
Despite dragging Labor out of 13 years of opposition in 2007, Mr Rudd's brief period as prime minister was deliberately wiped from history by Ms Gillard in her opening address.
Mr Rudd's backers were infuriated and disgusted by the very public snub.
Despite Gillard Cabinet euphoria that the year had ended on a high with the defection of Peter Slipper and the passage of the mining tax, Mr Rudd's supporters insist the leadership issue has not been laid to rest.
"This will all come to a natural head before the next Budget," a Labor MP said. "Gillard will never go anywhere by her own volition. So it will have to be done by other means.
"She's been given all the rope she needs."
The Foreign Affairs Minister has been flexing his muscle in recent weeks, declaring an open mind to the direct election of the Labor leader by rank-and-file members of the ALP.
There was anger among supporters of Mr Rudd yesterday over what they regarded as the sidelining of the Foreign Affairs Minister, who was relegated to the dying hours of the ALP conference to debate his portfolio.
Ms Gillard's decision to argue that ALP conferences should not be a "coronation or a campaign launch" was regarded as another dig at the former PM over claims he shut down debate.
The Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan's decision to pay tribute to Labor's greatest leaders on Friday, in a roll call that included every Labor PM including Curtin, Chifley, Whitlam, Hawke and Keating but excluded Mr Rudd, had also angered MPs.
Supporters of Mr Rudd conceded that the ALP caucus was not prepared to act before Christmas, citing a desire to extend Ms Gillard natural justice, allowing her to welcome US President Barack Obama to Australia and conclude the ALP conference.
But they warned the basis of Labor's primary vote had not altered, with dozens of Labor MPs facing the loss of seats in a potential electoral slaughter.
The critics warned the defection of Liberal MP Mr Slipper to become Speaker and sit as an independent in Parliament would backfire.
The political knifing of Mr Rudd, the carbon tax lie and the "knifing of Harry" as Speaker were cited as the PM's three biggest problems. Former Speaker Harry Jenkins has denied he was pushed to vacate the Speaker's chair, a move that has delivered Labor an extra vote on the floor of Parliament.
But there were also expectations that Mr Rudd would offer another olive branch to the Left faction on nuclear policy when he spoke today.
The Right faction remains solid behind the Prime Minister, with power brokers Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy bitterly opposed to the return of Mr Rudd as leader.
