Australia's government thrown into turmoil as PM Rudd challenged by deputy Gillard for leadership

Australia's government was thrown into turmoil when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was challenged by his deputy Julia Gillard for the leadership just months before national elections.

Rudd called a late-night news conference to announce that the ruling Labor Party would hold a vote to decide who would lead the party into the elections.

In a remarkable turnaround in opinion polls in recent weeks, Rudd has gone from one of Australia's most popular leaders to one in danger of losing government after just one term.

The plunge in the polls have been largely due to domestic issues, a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign by the booming mining industry against Rudd's profit tax plans, and a flip-flop on Rudd's plans to introduce a carbon trading scheme.

While Australia's military contribution in Afghanistan is a sensitive topic, underscored by five Australian troops killed in recent weeks, the deployment is supported by all sides of politics and it is not considered an issue on which Rudd's leadership hangs.

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[nphuc1]

I have great RESPECT to labour MP who put their jods on line to support Rudd.

These MP are standing to Reason, Principle, Honesty and fairness:the true values of ALP

[nphuc1]

Lile Rudd or not ,he was an elected PM and a senior Minister.He should be treated with respect

and dignity.He had led ALP to victory in dificult time,attacking his peronality publicly or any of

your colleague is unethical,unprinciple and unaustralian.

[nphuc1]

Gilard is not a elcted PM,she did not win election 2010 ,the independent delivered her into

govement,she is a PM of the "faceless men" not the Australian people.

Crean,Shorten,Gilard made a plot to kill Rudd off.First used his popularity to get to power,

then ousted him,then publicly constant personal attack on him to push him to conner.

Politics is a dirty business but not to this extreme.These were unprecedented.

Gilard backstabbing team is not fit to be in charge the country

[PercivalGull]

What a choice. A nasty bastard or a lying bitch

[hudstar2011]

Limje him or not, the people voted in Rudd and he should return to that position to see his term out. The manipulation, greed and arrogance within our country by banks, mining companies and political parties has gone beyond ridicule as politicians and Australian corporate businesses impact on those that vote them in or support their industry - they do what serves their own interests without remorse about any impact actions have on the Australian public. At least Rudd stood up against wrong doing

[Inconvenientruths]

He is a short bloke what the fuck do you expect. Not that Jooles turned out better, in fact she has sunk Australia deeper into the quagmire.

[cyanideisabitterpill]

Gillard is not a woman to be taken seriously.

Come back Rudd.

[LigerZeroPanzar]

@hlimkb

I sure hope that doesn't happen!

He was great at first, but towards the end he kind of stopped all communication.

IF he becomes PM again, I hope he does a better job.

[hlimkb]

@LigerZeroPanzar

if gillard win,

and kevin is free for internal party politics,can he topple gillard in a internal party vote n hence return to become the pm again?

[LigerZeroPanzar]

My god.... Kevin Rudd was such a nerd.

I'm kinda glad he's gone, I was sick of hearing his voice.

Though Now I'm a but sick of hearing the word 'Forward' all the time XD

HOWEVER! I believe Julia Gillard is the better choice of the two!