Labor's big guns trained on Rudd ahead of spill
Nick Efstathiadis

Updated February 23, 2012 11:53:13

Video: Melissa Clarke wraps the Labor leadership situation this morning (ABC News)

Related Story: As it happened: Labor leadership struggle

Related Story: Gillard to call leadership spill

Related Story: Media circus surrounds Rudd's Washington hotel

Simon Crean and Wayne Swan led the attacks on Kevin Rudd this morning as Labor's warlords upped the ante ahead of a leadership spill next week.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a leadership ballot for Monday at a press conference in Adelaide this morning.

Key developments today

Announcing his resignation from the Foreign Minister's portfolio last night, Mr Rudd said he had felt under attack from Mr Crean and unnamed "faceless men" and accused Ms Gillard of failing to offer him any support.

But Mr Crean, whose attack on Mr Rudd on Monday opened the current, terminal round of leadership hostilities, was unrepentant this morning.

"People say [my comments] were the trigger point ... why was it the trigger point? Because I had the guts to say it openly," he told Radio National.

And he accused Mr Rudd of grandstanding by timing yesterday's announcement in the middle of the night in Washington DC to coincide with Australia's evening news bulletins.

"The caucus will decide but not because Kevin's called it on. All he's done is to resign dramatically ... and [he'll fly home] and make another dramatic statement on Sunday, while the party bleeds," he said.

"[Rudd] has no option but to contest. Will he contest? That's his judgement because he knows he doesn't have the numbers."

And Mr Crean ruled out speculation that he could stand as a compromise candidate if neither Ms Gillard nor Mr Rudd could mount a convincing case for the leadership.

"No. I have said it repeatedly, openly," he said.

On the question of how many votes Mr Rudd might garner in a leadership ballot, Mr Crean was dismissive.

"I would be surprised if he got 30," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Mr Swan, who last night launched a scathing attack on Mr Rudd, said he acted to expose Mr Rudd's "great weaknesses".

In his statement last night Mr Swan had accused Mr Rudd of "dysfunctional decision making and a deeply demeaning attitude towards other people".

This morning on AM he said the former prime minister was "deeply flawed".

"Yes he does have some very significant achievements, but on the flipside he has great weaknesses - great weaknesses which to date have not necessarily been seen in public - and given his recent behaviour it is simply intolerable for this to go on in the way that it has," he said.

Mr Swan said there was a "lot on the line" in this leadership challenge but he believed the Prime Minister will prevail.

"I certainly expect the outcome of the ballot, when it is held, to be one which will favour the Prime Minister," he said.

"I don't believe this is an ordinary-type challenge, this is a challenge where there's a lot on the line and of course the democratic processes of the party ought to be respected."

Mr Swan, and other senior ministers, have  pointed to new evidence of disloyalty from Mr Rudd - revelations from Clubs Australia that it met "an MP close to Kevin Rudd" in November who made clear the Foreign Minister would "kill" pokies reform if he was prime minister.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said Mr Rudd has been exposed as a "complete and utter fraud".

"He has been pretending that he supported the pre-commitment technology, pretending he supported reform in this area. But his key numbers man just happened to have two meetings and tell Clubs Australia that he would kill it," he said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Rudd says he totally rejected the claims and was prepared to launch legal action against anyone who repeats them.

'Travesty of democracy'

Speaking on Radio National after Mr Crean's interview, Senator Doug Cameron continued his backing of Mr Rudd and accused senior ministers of wanting to "drive a stake through his [Mr Rudd's] heart."

"I would be asking [Rudd] to contest, yes," he said when asked if the former Foreign Minister should nominate for the expected Monday ballot.

"You can always win any contest you're in but this is going to be a big task for Kevin Rudd."

Senator Cameron also called for a delay in the leadership spill, saying it would be a "travesty of democracy" if the ballot was called as soon as Monday.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon backed Ms Gillard, saying a leadership spill was inevitable and warning that Labor needed to lance the boil.

"We need to get out of this idea that Kevin is a Messiah who will deliver government back to us," she said.

"That is just fanciful."

Video: Rudd holed up in Washington hotel (ABC News)

Earlier Senator Conroy accused Mr Rudd of "constant undermining" since the last election.

He told Channel Nine that Mr Rudd was brought down last time by his contempt for his colleagues.

"The constant undermining, the constant leaking, the constant publication of lists claiming to be Rudd supporters has damaged the Government," he said.

"No question at all. It’s no surprise to see this sort of damage being done by the Rudd camp because this is exactly what happened during the last election.

"Everybody remembers the sabotage that went on in the first two weeks of the last election campaign.

"For somebody to be engaged in destabilising and giving Tony Abbott a chance to win the last election is an absolute disgrace.

"And all Australians watched that farce, or those first two weeks of the election campaign as more and more leaks targeted directly at Julia Gillard were released during an election campaign.

"I mean this is unbelievable."

While Labor was engaged in its civil war, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott renewed his calls for an early election.

"Whoever emerges as the (Labor) leader on Monday, the poison won't go away," he said.

Labor's big guns trained on Rudd ahead of spill - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

|