Drama is over, says Gillard
PM sees off Rudd challenge 71-31
Julia Gillard convincingly beat Kevin Rudd in their bitter but brief leadership battle yesterday, 71 votes to 31, to retain the prime ministership.
After her resounding victory, and declaring that she had put down the internal strife that has undermined her unpopular government for months, Gillard said: ‘‘Australians have had a gutful of seeing us focus on ourselves. I can assure you that this political drama is over.’’
Rudd supporters had argued that Gillard is unelectable, while Gillard supporters said Rudd had shown himself to be an ineffective leader.
Gillard yesterday repeated the mantra of her swift rise to power in 2010, forcing Rudd from the PM job, saying the Labor Party needs to now move forward and has instructed the party that Rudd must be honoured as a past prime minister for his many achievements — including the apology to the stolen generations, the successful steerage of the Australian economy through the global financial crisis and his ‘‘amazing advocacy’’ as foreign minister.
Rudd, who said he would not reoppose her, said: ‘‘To Julia I would say the following: I accept fully the verdict of the caucus and dedicate myself to working fully for her re-election as Prime Minister of Australia.’’
Rudd thanked the one-third of his colleagues who backed him and said he bore no grudges against those who spoke out against him.
He said it was time the ‘‘wounds were healed’’ within the party.
Gillard acknowledged it had been a difficult and disappointing day for Rudd and his family.
The Prime Minister said she had learned important lessons and acknowledged she had made mistakes, saying she intended to be ‘‘a stronger and more forceful advocate’’ for the government’s intentions.
In particular she said the public should have been given and full and proper explanation about the 2010 leadership coup that ousted Rudd as leader. ‘‘I accept I should have explained that at the time,’’ she said.
Gillard said she was not prepared to address those events further as there had been vast public commentary on the matter over the last week.
‘‘It should be at an end, our focus is on 2012 and all the years that lie beyond,’’ she said.
Gillard was confident that despite the divisions of late, she could win the next election, adding that Labor and the Coalition had ‘‘competing visions for the future’’.
Sen. Mark Arbib, a party powerbroker who supports Gillard and helped orchestrate the 2010 coup, quit as sports minister and as a senator in the interests of government unity.