UPDATE : IS IT REALLY OVER?
“Set me free why don’t you babe? Get out my life why don’t you babe?”
That song has been in my head all day.* It’s been my soundtrack to The Spill.
I’m imagining Julia Gillard… Ginger Diana Ross style afro, pleading to Kevin Rudd in song….
“Cause you don’t really love me. You just keep me hangin’ on.”
It’s fitting. Kevin Rudd has been the thorn in Gillard’s Prime Ministership since June 24, 2010. And even now that he’s been beaten – comprehensively – for the second time, no one can be sure that he’s ever going to set her free.
Julia Gillard acknowledged that questions about Kevin Rudd’s future influence on the party wouldn’t end today.
“I understand many people will have their doubts, but after this fight Labor will pull together in a united way.
We have come together before and we will do so now. I am absolutely confident of that because at the end of the day as Labor people we are driven by a common purpose,” she said. There was even a “moving forward” thrown in for good measure.
Kevin Rudd, in a humble concession speech, signalled that he did, in fact, intend to move on and turn his attention to the people of Australia.
“We must serve the people, not ourselves. And that is what I dedicate myself to doing.
To Julia, I would say the following: I accept fully the verdict of the caucus and I dedicate myself to working fully for her re-election as PM,” he said this afternoon, his family by his side.
He absolved his detractors of any guilt over the way they spoke about him over the past week.
“I bear no grudges, I bear no one any malice and if I’ve done wrong to anyone, in what I’ve said or in what I’ve done, to them I apologise.”
The ex-PM took to the Backbench in Question Time today. Smiling and joking with his teammates, like he hadn’t a care in the world.
But in an interview earlier today Kevin Rudd said that while he wouldn’t initiate a further challenge himself, he wouldn’t rule out another spill if someone else nominated him.
If the polls continue to slide and MPs and Senators start to get nervous about the 2013 election, we could see one of Rudd’s supporters take matters into their own hands.
Some MPs have quietly warned the media that the PM has 6 months to turn the polls around, or her own supporters will turn against her.
Top Comments
"Rudd has promised it’s his last race. But can a racehorse really give up racing just like that?"
Most racehorses I know prefer to be in the paddock having a spell, not out on the track racing. Very poor metaphor used by journo.
BTW, Rudd wasn't beaten twice, there wasn't a ballot when he gave up being PM. Poor journalism all round here.
I'm sorry you don't like the metaphor Red Menace. While I don't know any racehorses, I have spoken to jockeys who say the horses love to race. But even so, it's just a fun metaphor I've used to explain the spill. I didn't mean any offence :)
In 2010, there was a Spill, but Rudd forfeited the vote because he conceded he would not get enough to win. However, I wouldn't say he "gave up being PM". He was forced out - against his will. Every politician and commentator I've spoken with (including his Labor colleagues) considers this spill his second defeat. But yes, you could say this is the first time he's lost an actual vote.
Hi Lauren,
I wonder if there might be a useful full article to be developed from the following:-
What still consumes people and I believe will continue to do so is the overnight removal of Kevin Rudd from the office of Prime Minister.
Could you please give us a full explanation? including details of any alternative processes which would not have seen him dispatched with such horrible haste
and
an explanation of the process that was in fact used - was Mr Rudd's
demise automatic and unavoidably instant when he *CHOSE not to put the matter to a ballot?
* Details of this would also be appreciated.
I agree with Renee's sentiment but although I might be wrong, I think this matter will be relevant for a long time yet; if we had a better understanding of what was or wasn't involved, large numbers of people might perhaps be more comfortable about 'moving on'.
Kind regards, MQ
Just -- please - no more Kevin Rudd or ANY of his family - specifically Jessica Rudd "opinion pieces".
Let Julia and the others get on.