National Post (National Edition)
OPPONENTS FAIL TO OUST PM GILLARD
Predecessor Rudd declines to run against her
SYDNEY • Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard survived an attempt Thursday by a senior lawmaker in her Labour party to oust her, after her predecessor Kevin Rudd, whom she deposed in a 2010 coup, unexpectedly declined to run against her.
Also Thursday, Ms. Gillard issued for the first time a public apology for a decades-long government policy of forced adoptions that ended only in the 1970s. The state is believed to have taken tens of thousands of babies — many from unmarried, often teenage mothers — and given them to childless married couples.
Governments, churches, hospitals and even charities sanctioned the widespread practice, in which many mothers were tricked into signing adoption papers under the influence of drugs.
Speaking to a crowd of victims during a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra, Ms. Gillard apologized.
“Today, this Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, takes responsibility and apologizes for the policies and practices that forced the separation of mothers from their babies which created a lifelong legacy of pain and suffering,” she said.
Earlier, she had accepted a public demand for a leadership ballot put forward by Simon Crean, a cabinet minister and former Labour leader. He had said the party, which has been languishing in the polls for months, could only hope to prevail in September elections by returning Mr. Rudd to office.
But Mr. Rudd declined to challenge Ms. Gillard for the leadership, citing a promise not to do so unless he had overwhelming party support and the position was vacant.
His decision shocked the political and media establishment, which had all but declared him the winner, and raised questions about his role in the day’s developments.
“This is a difficult day for the Australian Labour Party — a difficult day for the Australian government, but I take my word seriously,” Mr. Rudd said just before the vote, explaining why he would not challenge Ms. Gillard.
“I’ve given that word, I gave it solemnly in that room after the last ballot and I will adhere to that word today.”
After the vote, Ms. Gillard was quick to seize the initiative. “Today the leadership of our political party — the Labour Party — has been settled and settled in the most conclusive fashion possible,” she said.
“The whole business is completely at an end. The government has a plan for the nation’s future. We have plenty of work to be getting on with, and we will be getting on with it in a few minutes’ time.”
The day of high political drama gave rise to serious questions about what impact the spectacle would have on the fortunes of Labour and the deeply unpopular Ms. Gillard.
Australia’s first female prime minister has seen her poll ratings plummet since announcing in January federal elections would be held in September.
She has led a tenuous minority government since her parliamentary majority was diminished in a disappointing 2010 election. Although she beat back a leadership challenge from Mr. Rudd early in 2012, she has slid in the polls against Tony Abbott, leader of the opposition Liberal-National coalition.
John Wanna, a professor of political science at Australian National University in Canberra, said Thursday’s developments suggested the current government was, on a scale of one to 10, in “the high nines” in terms of dysfunction.
“I mean, some individual ministers are quite competent in their portfolios, but as a government it’s totally dysfunctional,” he said.