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| Julia Gillard reshuffles cabinet and rebukes Labor over leadership crisis | Julia Gillard reshuffles cabinet and rebukes Labor over leadership crisis |
| (8 days later) | |
| Australia's prime minister, Julia Gillard, has announced a reshuffled cabinet while describing as "appalling", "self-indulgent" and "unseemly" the bungled attempt by Labor heavyweights to replace her with Kevin Rudd. | Australia's prime minister, Julia Gillard, has announced a reshuffled cabinet while describing as "appalling", "self-indulgent" and "unseemly" the bungled attempt by Labor heavyweights to replace her with Kevin Rudd. |
| The failed coup – in which Rudd waited until 10 minutes before the ballot to declare he would not stand and Gillard was re-elected unopposed – has claimed the scalps of three senior cabinet members as well as several other ministers and parliamentary secretaries. Announcing her new team, Gillard said her government's eyes would now be on the nation and not internal wranglings of her party. "Like Australians around the nation I was appalled by events of last week," she said. "My political party, the Labor party, which I love very dearly, was self-indulgent. Our eyes were on ourselves rather than [being] ... focused on the nation. It was an unseemly display. But out of that has come clarity." Gillard reiterated that the leadership contest for her job was over. "It is now very clear that I have the confidence of my colleagues to lead the Labor party and to remain as prime minister. It is also clear that Kevin Rudd has acknowledged he will never lead the Labor party again." There were few surprises in the new cabinet team, except for the promotion of Anthony Albanese, a key Rudd supporter, to the portfolio of regional development and local government, adding to his current portfolios of infrastructure and transport. Regional development is the role vacated by former minister Simon Crean, who sparked the crisis last Friday by calling for Gillard to either throw her job open to contest or be forced to do so. Crean, who said he would have voted for Rudd, was sacked by Gillard and sent to the backbench. Defending her promotion of Albanese, a long-time Rudd supporter, Gillard acknowledged his public declaration amid the dramatic caucus vote that he would never support a leadership ballot to unseat a sitting prime minister. Other winners from the cabinet reshuffle were Gary Gray who enters cabinet, taking over the mining and resources portfolio from the outgoing Rudd loyalist Martin Ferguson. Gillard acknowledged the personal experience Gray would bring to the portfolio, having previously worked as a senior executive at the resources company Woodside Energy. Gray is from Western Australia, one of the country's two resource-richest states. | The failed coup – in which Rudd waited until 10 minutes before the ballot to declare he would not stand and Gillard was re-elected unopposed – has claimed the scalps of three senior cabinet members as well as several other ministers and parliamentary secretaries. Announcing her new team, Gillard said her government's eyes would now be on the nation and not internal wranglings of her party. "Like Australians around the nation I was appalled by events of last week," she said. "My political party, the Labor party, which I love very dearly, was self-indulgent. Our eyes were on ourselves rather than [being] ... focused on the nation. It was an unseemly display. But out of that has come clarity." Gillard reiterated that the leadership contest for her job was over. "It is now very clear that I have the confidence of my colleagues to lead the Labor party and to remain as prime minister. It is also clear that Kevin Rudd has acknowledged he will never lead the Labor party again." There were few surprises in the new cabinet team, except for the promotion of Anthony Albanese, a key Rudd supporter, to the portfolio of regional development and local government, adding to his current portfolios of infrastructure and transport. Regional development is the role vacated by former minister Simon Crean, who sparked the crisis last Friday by calling for Gillard to either throw her job open to contest or be forced to do so. Crean, who said he would have voted for Rudd, was sacked by Gillard and sent to the backbench. Defending her promotion of Albanese, a long-time Rudd supporter, Gillard acknowledged his public declaration amid the dramatic caucus vote that he would never support a leadership ballot to unseat a sitting prime minister. Other winners from the cabinet reshuffle were Gary Gray who enters cabinet, taking over the mining and resources portfolio from the outgoing Rudd loyalist Martin Ferguson. Gillard acknowledged the personal experience Gray would bring to the portfolio, having previously worked as a senior executive at the resources company Woodside Energy. Gray is from Western Australia, one of the country's two resource-richest states. |
| This is the fifth reshuffle since Gillard won the 2010 election. Gillard has been dogged by leadership speculation virtually ever since she ousted Kevin Rudd as prime minister in June 2010. In February 2012 Rudd lost an attempt to unseat her by 71 votes to 31. The constant speculation over whether he would attempt another comeback has contributed to her government's weak standing in the polls. A recent poll by the Nielsen group for the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers showed Labor trailing the conservative Liberal-National opposition coalition by a margin of 47% to 31%. | This is the fifth reshuffle since Gillard won the 2010 election. Gillard has been dogged by leadership speculation virtually ever since she ousted Kevin Rudd as prime minister in June 2010. In February 2012 Rudd lost an attempt to unseat her by 71 votes to 31. The constant speculation over whether he would attempt another comeback has contributed to her government's weak standing in the polls. A recent poll by the Nielsen group for the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers showed Labor trailing the conservative Liberal-National opposition coalition by a margin of 47% to 31%. |
| Rudd remains the more popular leader, outpolling Gillard as preferred party leader by a margin of two to one. Other cabinet changes include Craig Emerson, currently minster for trade, taking over the portolios of tertiary education, skills, science and research vacated by the resignation of Rudd supporter Chris Bowen. Jason Clare, currently minister for justice, enters cabinet keeping that portfolio. The sustainability and environment minister, Tony Burke, adds the arts ministry to his portfolio. | Rudd remains the more popular leader, outpolling Gillard as preferred party leader by a margin of two to one. Other cabinet changes include Craig Emerson, currently minster for trade, taking over the portolios of tertiary education, skills, science and research vacated by the resignation of Rudd supporter Chris Bowen. Jason Clare, currently minister for justice, enters cabinet keeping that portfolio. The sustainability and environment minister, Tony Burke, adds the arts ministry to his portfolio. |
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