Gillard crushes Rudd in leadership vote

CANBERRA: Austra­lian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has stared down a challenge from predecessor Kevin Rudd to decisively retain the leadership of the federal Labor party.
Gillard emerged smi­ling from yesterday morning’s party room meeting and said she would hold a press conference shortly.
Rudd, accompanied by supporters, was also smiling, but would not speak to waiting repor­ters.
Gillard won 71 votes from the Labor caucus to Rudd’s 31, making it the biggest win in a Labor leadership ballot in 30 years.
NSW MP Michelle Rowland, who would have supported Gillard, was absent from the meeting after having a baby last week.
Gillard, who ousted Rudd as prime minister in June 2010, had been expected to win with at least two thirds of the vote.
Party returning officer Chris Hayes said once the vote results were read out, there was clapping and a certain amount of relief on the faces of members and senators.“The mood, it is fair to say, was reasonably tense,” Hayes said.
“As a result of the conclusion of the ballot, most members are happy that this matter has now been determined.
“They now see this news as the vehicle to move forward.”
Hayes said Gillard and Rudd each spoke to caucus for three minutes.
Rudd told caucus he would support Gillard.
“One of the major things he indicated was that at the conclusion of this ballot he would be working for a unified Labor team,” he said.
MP Dick Adams, who joined Hayes, agreed.
“He said he would be right behind Julia,” he said.
Asked how Rudd was after the ballot, Hayes said: “He seemed fine.”
Hayes believed the result would have a unifying impact on the party.
“The prime minister now has been shown to have the overwhelming support of caucus,” he said.
The ALP hopes the leadership ballot will end the months of leadership speculation. – AAP
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