REMEMBER WHEN

LABOR leader Kim Beazley said there was no turning back ahead of a vote that would make or break his political career.

As a new poll showed Labor well ahead of the Government, Mr Beazley urged MPs to stick with him and not throw away the chance of winning the 2007 election on his untried challenger Kevin Rudd.

“The Australian people cannot afford to have Labor write off this next election with a new leader. That is the substantial risk there,” Mr Beazley said.

But Mr Rudd and his running mate, Julia Gillard, claimed to have the numbers to defeat Mr Beazley and his deputy Jenny Macklin in a caucus vote.

Both camps spent the weekend frantically lobbying the 88-member Labor caucus after Mr Rudd told Mr Beazley of his intention to challenge.

A loss would throw Mr Beazley’s future into doubt after a 25-year parliamentary career and two previous stints as Opposition leader.

Mr Rudd’s camp claimed to have 48 of the 88 votes, with a further six ‘gettables’ from the undecided.

The final result looked certain to be tight, with the outcome resting on fewer than a dozen MPs who were still genuinely undecided.

Mr Beazley said he was grateful for the support he had received and was confident he would prevail.

“When we’ve been doing so well in the polls for so long, that means we’re doing something right,” he told reporters at Canberra airport.

Mr Rudd won the ballot and went on to win the 2007 election.