‘Terminal’ injury dealt to Labor

Kevin Rudd’s latest press conference was ‘‘egocentric’’ and will cause anyone who is wavering to turn against him, a political expert says.

But regardless of who wins the Labor leadership, neither Rudd nor Prime Minister Julia Gillard will win the next election, says Dr Peter Chen, who lectures in the department of government and international relations at the University of Sydney.

‘‘This extended period of campaigning for the leadership has terminally injured the Labor Party,’’ Chen said yesterday.

‘‘Rudd can’t win over his ‘ This extended period of campaigning for the leadership has terminally injured the Labor Party.

Peter Chen

University of Sydney own party and Gillard can’t win over the public. The pair could have been a great team but regardless of who wins this spill, neither can win the next election.’’

Rudd was an egoist with a massive sense of grievance, said Chen, an expert on the former prime minister’s pol- itical history. ‘‘If you look at his speech this morning, it was the most egocentric speech I’ve ever seen,’’ he said.

‘‘He was saying only he can save the Labor Party, only he can save Australia.

‘‘Anybody looking at that who is wavering would think ‘This guy hasn’t changed at all’.’’

The Gillard government had been more effective at getting things done than the Rudd government, but they were terrible at communicating their achievements to the public, Chen said. ‘‘So they are both screwed.’’