By chief political correspondent Simon Cullen
Updated Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:43pm AEST
Kevin Rudd has declared he will do everything possible to ensure Tony Abbott never becomes prime minister, in his first public appearance since former finance minister Lindsay Tanner launched a blistering attack on those who toppled the former Labor leader.
He side-stepped questions about whether he was pleased Mr Tanner had leapt to his defence, describing it as a "political debate" for others to contribute to.
"Mr Swan's contributed to it, Mr Burke's contributed to it, Ms Roxon's contributed to it and now Mr Tanner has as well," Mr Rudd told reporters.
"We should be broad-shouldered enough to sustain that sort of debate."
The three current Labor frontbenchers mentioned by Mr Rudd were some of the most outspoken critics of the former prime minister during February's leadership challenge.
At the time, Treasurer Wayne Swan described Mr Rudd's leadership style as "dysfunctional" and his approach to colleagues as "deeply demeaning".
Ms Roxon and Tony Burke both declared they would refuse to continue serving as Ministers if Mr Rudd were to return to the top job.
Mr Rudd today fronted a press conference outside the Princess Alexandra Hospital, which is in his Brisbane electorate of Griffith, to campaign against what he described as potential moves by the State Government to cut support for the Organ and Tissue Authority.
He said correspondence between the Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg and the Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Catherine King cast doubt over the state's commitment to the issue.
"I take seriously my responsibility to get out there and argue the case for what the Australian Government is doing in health and hospital services when they are being ripped and torn apart by the Liberal National Party at the state level," Mr Rudd said, before turning his attack on the Federal Coalition.
"It's my continued objective to do everything within my power to prevent Mr Abbott from becoming the next Prime Minister of Australia.
"Because what we have with (Queensland Premier) Campbell Newman, Barry O'Farrell in New South Wales and Ted Baillieu in Victoria, we have simply the entree - the entree of slash and burn to basic government services nationwide.
"Tony Abbott - he's the main course."
Mr Rudd says he will continue to campaign against the possibility of an Abbott government as long as he thinks he still has a contribution to make.
While Mr Rudd was speaking to the media, Mr Newman took to Twitter to challenge the former Labor leader to explain potential tax changes to superannuation contributions and withdrawals.
Mr Rudd fired back, describing the comment as a distraction and proof that Mr Newman had his priorities wrong.
"If the Premier of Queensland has time to monitor my press conferences and send out a tweet, can I suggest he just comes down here... and provide a rolled-gold guarantee... that the delivery of critical health and hospital services will not be affected," Mr Rudd said.
Rudd keeps it local in Abbott attack - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
