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| Kevin Rudd backers 'in Australia leadership move' | Kevin Rudd backers 'in Australia leadership move' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Supporters of former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd are seeking to force a Labor leadership vote aimed at ousting Julia Gillard, reports say. | Supporters of former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd are seeking to force a Labor leadership vote aimed at ousting Julia Gillard, reports say. |
| A petition calling for a caucus meeting to vote on the party leadership is being circulated among Labor politicians, Australian reports say. | A petition calling for a caucus meeting to vote on the party leadership is being circulated among Labor politicians, Australian reports say. |
| Australia is set for a general election in less than three months that polls suggest Labor will lose. | Australia is set for a general election in less than three months that polls suggest Labor will lose. |
| Any ballot that takes place must occur before parliament closes on 27 June. | Any ballot that takes place must occur before parliament closes on 27 June. |
| The government has not commented on reports about the petition. | |
| At least a third of Labor's MPs must agree on a leadership vote in order to force a special caucus meeting. Mr Rudd would then need at least 52 votes to oust Ms Gillard. | |
| 'Seen enough' | |
| Ms Gillard toppled Mr Rudd in a leadership challenge in 2010, but he remains more popular with voters, and there has been sustained discussion about the Labor party leadership in recent weeks. | |
| Mr Rudd's position on any potential challenge remains unclear. | Mr Rudd's position on any potential challenge remains unclear. |
| He declined to contest a leadership vote in March and said afterwards that there were "no circumstances" under which he would seek the top job. | He declined to contest a leadership vote in March and said afterwards that there were "no circumstances" under which he would seek the top job. |
| Nonetheless speculation over a possible return has continued to rumble as Labor's poll figures have fallen ahead of the election on 14 September. | Nonetheless speculation over a possible return has continued to rumble as Labor's poll figures have fallen ahead of the election on 14 September. |
| During question time in Australia's parliament, opposition leader Tony Abbott challenged Ms Gillard to bring forward the election date to 3 August, due to the "paralysis" gripping government. | |
| "We have seen enough," he said. "Why should we limp on for another 80 days?" | |
| In the same session, Ms Gillard said: "I can assure [Mr Abbott] and I can assure the Australian people that as prime minister I am getting on with the job and that is what the government is doing." |