RUDD v GILLARD: Supporter camps prepare for showdown
Nick Efstathiadis

 

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Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd during the ALP Conference at the Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Picture: Renee Nowytarger Source: The Daily Telegraph

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THE internal Labor hostility towards former leader Kevin Rudd is at a new peak following criticism of his behaviour at the party's weekend national conference.

The strengthened animosity could trigger a showdown between Mr Rudd and his forces, and those of his successor Julia Gillard.

Senior Labor figures have considered a widespread reshuffle of the ministry which would see Mr Rudd ousted as Foreign Minister as punishment for perceived disloyalty to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

It is understood the proposal was ditched, in part because Mr Rudd might use the freedom of the back bench to intensify his campaign against Ms Gillard, who forced him out as Prime Minister in June last year.

Opponents of Mr Rudd's bid to regain the leadership were furious when they read an interview in the Sunday Telegraph quoting an unnamed source.

A minister told news.com.au the Foreign Minister had been heard using the same phrases quoted in the article.
There also was criticism of Mr Rudd's address to conference Sunday afternoon, which was seen as a largely self promotion rather than a policy debate, with substantial references to achievements while he was PM.

Retaliation was swift. The Sydney Morning Herald was leaked the sealed section of a party post mortem on the election which accused Mr Rudd of leaking details, or approving of leaks, which battered Ms Gillard's campaign.

``He cost us the election,'' a minister told news.com.au.

Mr Rudd has left Australia for a Bonn conference on allied operations in Afghanistan, and will then fly into Tripoli, Libya.

The leaking of the sealed section was not uniformly applauded within the ALP with some MPs concerned it would unnecessarily inflame relations between the two senior party figures.

``Has anyone noted that a report accusing Kevin of leaking has been leaked?'' said one unimpressed Labor figure.

The critical part of the ALP's official report on the election has not been formally made public, but its contents were revealed known in newspaper reports soon after the rest of the document was released earlier this year.

Mr Rudd has consistently called for the sealed section be released, said a spokeswoman today.

On November 26 the Foreign Minister said factional chiefs had wanted to suppress part of the findings by Senator John Faulkner and former premiers Bob Carr and Steve Bracks.

“Remember, Bracks, Carr and Faulkner, the authors of the review called for its full public release – what are we afraid of? That our 35,000 branch members might actually read it?’’ he said at the time.

“I believe it is these lost opportunities of reform in the past that mean we must fully embrace the reform package proposed for the future through this review.

“Because to pick and choose the reforms we embrace based on the recommendations of the factions, after the process of comprehensive consultation across the breadth of the ALP by the Review team itself, is death by a thousand cuts."

The significance on this occasion is the timing. It is being seen as a sharp jab at Mr Rudd, but has overwhelmed any positive coverage of the conference's final day.

The renewed animosity between Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard has come as the Prime Minister hoped to get an opinion poll kick from her own performance at the national conference.

Today's Newspoll showed the Government was on a dismal 31 per cent of the primary vote and trailed the Coalition 54-46 when preferences were allocated.

But Ms Gillard has established a lead over Opposition Leader Tony Abbott as preferred Prime Minister.
She was preferred PM for 43 per cent of voters, compared to 36 for Mr Abbott.

Ms Gillard's performance as PM was rated satisfactory by 36 per cent of voters, and Mr Abbott's performance was approved by 33 per cent.

But voters were not keen on either.

Some 56 were dissatisfied with Ms Gillard's performance and 57 per cent didn't like how Mr Abbott was doing his job as Opposition Leader.

RUDD v GILLARD: Supporter camps prepare for showdown | News.com.au

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