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Australia PM Julia Gillard calls leadership ballot | Australia PM Julia Gillard calls leadership ballot |
(35 minutes later) | |
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called a Labor party leadership ballot, after supporters of rival Kevin Rudd sought to force a vote. | Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called a Labor party leadership ballot, after supporters of rival Kevin Rudd sought to force a vote. |
Mr Rudd has confirmed that he will put himself forward for the vote, which will take place on Wednesday evening. | |
The move comes ahead of a 14 September election which Labor looks set to lose. | The move comes ahead of a 14 September election which Labor looks set to lose. |
Ms Gillard said she would leave politics if she lost the vote and called on any challenger to do the same. | Ms Gillard said she would leave politics if she lost the vote and called on any challenger to do the same. |
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. |
'This is it' | |
Julia Gillard's call came hours after news surfaced that Kevin Rudd's supporters were circulating a petition calling for a caucus meeting to vote on the party leadership. | |
Ms Gillard said that this was the final opportunity for the leadership issue to be resolved. | |
"We cannot have the government or the Labor Party go to the next election with a person leading the Labor Party and a person floating around as the potential alternate leader," she said. | |
"Anybody who enters the ballot tonight should do it on the following conditions: that if you win you're Labor leader, that if you lose you retire from politics." | |
"This is it, tonight is the night," she said. "I wouldn't be putting myself forward unless I had a degree of confidence." | "This is it, tonight is the night," she said. "I wouldn't be putting myself forward unless I had a degree of confidence." |
Shortly afterwards, Mr Rudd told reporters that he intended to run. "For the nation's sake I believe it's time for this matter to be resolved," he said. | |
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. | |
In March Mr Rudd declined to contest a leadership vote and said afterwards that there were "no circumstances" under which he would seek the top job. | |
Nonetheless speculation that he could return had persisted amid polling showing he could deliver a better outcome for Labor in the election. | |
Tony Abbott leads the opposition coalition, which polls suggest is currently on course for a convincing win. | |
Earlier on Wednesday, Tony Abbott challenged Ms Gillard to bring forward the election date to 3 August, and said that "paralysis" was gripping the government. |