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Kevin Rudd backers 'in Australia leadership move' Australia PM Julia Gillard calls leadership ballot
(35 minutes later)
Supporters of former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd are seeking to force a Labor leadership vote aimed at ousting Julia Gillard, reports say. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called a Labor party leadership ballot, after supporters of rival Kevin Rudd sought to force a vote.
A petition calling for a caucus meeting to vote on the party leadership is being circulated among Labor politicians, Australian reports say. The vote will take place on Wednesday evening. It is not yet clear whether Mr Rudd will put himself forward.
Australia is set for a general election in less than three months that polls suggest Labor will lose. The move comes ahead of a 14 September election which Labor looks set to lose.
Any ballot that takes place must occur before parliament closes on 27 June. Ms Gillard said she would leave politics if she lost the vote and called on any challenger to do the same.
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.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. Ms Gillard said this was the final opportunity for the leadership issue to be resolved.
"This is it, tonight is the night," she said. "I wouldn't be putting myself forward unless I had a degree of confidence."
The ballot will take place at 19:00 local time (09:00 GMT).
Mr Rudd would need at least 52 votes to oust Ms Gillard. However, he has not confirmed whether he will stand.
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 that he could return has persisted.
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."