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2010 Australian Labor Party leadership spill

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by GJGardner (talk | contribs) at 11:34, 24 June 2010 (→Background: pretty much already covers that info within the rest of the section). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Australian Labor Party
leadership election, 2010
← 2006 23 June 2010 (2010-06-23) – 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
 
Candidate Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd
Incumbent Leader

Kevin Rudd


A leadership election of the Australian Labor Party was held on 24 June 2010.[1] The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, was challenged by the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard for the Prime Ministership.[2] Julia Gillard won unopposed,[3] and was sworn in as Prime Minister early on the afternoon of 24 June.

Candidates

Background

On 23 June 2010, after meetings throughout the evening Rudd addressed the awaiting media at 10:30 pm AEST and announced that Julia Gillard had asked for him to resign or hold a leadership ballot in the 115 member[5] party room caucus the following day to determine the leadership of the Labor Party and hence the Prime Ministership of Australia.[1]

The ballot followed declining ratings for the Labor Party and Prime Minister after numerous policy decisions, including problems with the Home Insulation Program, a significant delay to a planned carbon emissions reduction scheme[6], a move to introduce mandatory Internet filtering[7], and the introduction of the Resource Super Profits Tax.[6] Senior Labor MPs conceded that the ALP's primary vote had dropped below 30 per cent in some key marginal seats.[8] The leadership challenge was sparked after the influential Australian Workers' Union (AWU) switched its support from Rudd to Gillard.[9] AWU national secretary Paul Howes told the Australian Associated Press and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's program Lateline[10] that he and Queensland powerbroker Bill Ludwig had moved their support to Gillard after making an assessment that a change in leadership was in the best interest of their membership.[11]

On the morning of 23 June, NSW powerbroker Mark Arbib, Victorians Bill Shorten and David Feeney, and South Australian Don Farrell visited Gillard to tell her they had lost confidence in the prime minister, setting the challenge in motion.[11] At midday, Mark Arbib and David Feeney told Gillard that they could guarantee her the support of the majority of right wing (faction) Caucus members in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.[12]

Mark Arbib and David Feeney told Gillard that the party would lose the election if Rudd continued to lead it.[12] They said they believe the party will win under Gillard.[12] Party sources told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Gillard agreed that the party faced electoral annihilation with Rudd at the helm.[12]

Results

All 115 members of the Australian Labor Party currently residing in the House of Representatives and the Senate were eligible to vote in the ballot. A total of 58 votes was to be required to secure a majority of the caucus and ultimately win the leadership ballot.

Before the ballot took place in the special caucus meeting, Rudd resigned from the Labor Party leadership as it became clear he did not have the numbers to overcome Gillard in a leadership ballot. Hence, Gillard was elected unopposed as the Prime Minister and was sworn in as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia in the early afternoon. Treasurer Wayne Swan was unanimously chosen to fill the role of Deputy Leader of the Labor Party and therefore Deputy Prime Minister.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Coorey, Phillip (23 June 2010). "Rudd's leadership hangs by a thread". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  2. ^ "PM Kevin Rudd calls vote after Gillard meeting". The Australian. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  3. ^ "Gillard ousts Rudd in bloodless coup". ABC Online. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Australian Labor Party: A Ministry to Meet Australia's Future Challenges". Australian Labor Party. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  5. ^ Hudson, Phillip (24 June 2010). "Prime Minister Julia Gillard defends role in overthrow of Kevin Rudd". Herald Sun. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  6. ^ a b Pannett, Rachel (23 June 2010). "Australia's Rudd Calls Vote on Leadership". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  7. ^ Moses, Asher (18 June 2010). "Toxic net filters 'shelved until after election'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  8. ^ Lewis, Steve (23 June 2010). "Defiant Rudd clings on to power". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  9. ^ "Julia Gillard forces Kevin Rudd to hold leadership ballot". Herald Sun. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  10. ^ Jones, Tony (23 June 2010). "Uhlmann's take on Labor's leadership crisis". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Lateline. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  11. ^ a b O'Malley, Sandra (23 June 2010). "Gillard could topple Rudd as PM". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d Uhlmann, Chris (24 June 2010). "Gillard poised to defeat Rudd". ABC News. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  13. ^ Coorey, Phillip; Lester, Tim (24 June 2010). "Gillard becomes Australia's first female prime minister as tearful Rudd stands aside". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
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