Julia Gillard ascend Rudd descend

Nksagar -24 June 2010- Julia Gillard now set to become Australia's first female prime minister after Kevin Rudd's support within the party dilutes .JULIA Gillard this morning is well tipped become Australia's first woman prime minister after she offered her stake against Kevin Rudd last night with go for a vote on the leadership.

Meeting of Labor MPs at 9am today to decide Mr Rudd's fate, after a day of melodrama in which key unions and factional bosses suddenly withdrew their support and fell in behind Ms Gillard.Announcing the leadership spill late last night,a defiant Mr Rudd told a media conference in Canberra: ''I was elected by the people of Australia as Prime Minister of Australia. I was elected to do that job. I intend to continue doing that job.'' Julia Gillard challenges Kevin Rudd for the Labor leadership.

His chances of survival feeble, with a swathe of influential backbenchers and ministers including Treasurer Wayne Swan,Trade Minister Simon Crean tipped to back Ms Gillard,this morning, Environment Protection Minister Peter Garrett threw his support behind Gillard, although not able to vote because,currently in Agadir, Morocco for the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting.The party's right faction was pushing for Mr Swan to take over as deputy prime minister if Ms Gillard wins the ballot. The appointment would in part be a sop for Queensland, Mr Rudd's home state, where Labor on present polling is facing severe losses.Victorian backbenchers Darren Cheeseman and Mike Symon were also expected to support Ms Gillard. She had the numbers comfortably, perhaps by about 70 to 40.At his news conference, Mr Rudd conceded that he had lost the support of factions, but insisted the Australian people, not the factional leaders, had made him Prime Minister.
He promised that if he survived, the government would ''not be lurching to the right on asylum seekers, as some … have counselled us to do''.''Also, on the question of climate change we'll be moving to a timetable on emissions trading which is of the government's decision - contrary to the view of some on when that best occurs.''Ms Gillard confirmed she would be a candidate but had no other comment.

With an intense overnight lobbying, Rudd camp deeply pessimistic despite holding the support of several key figures. Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese were both backing Mr Rudd.Small Business Minister Craig Emerson was also sticking with Mr Rudd, saying, ''I'm voting for Kevin because I don't believe it's in the interests of the Labor Party to bring down a first term Labor Prime Minister''.

The crisis came into light last night at a meeting in the Prime Minister's office attended by Mr Rudd, Ms Gillard, Mr Albanese, Mr Tanner, Mr Swan and Defence Minister John Faulkner.Ms Gillard has previously repeatedly declared she would not run for the leader's position but the push for her to take charge initiated by senators -union leaders of the Victorian, New South Wales and South Australian right and the Victorian left faction.Victorian Parliamentary Secretary Bill Shorten, Victorian Senator David Feeney, Melbourne Ports member Michael Danby and South Australian Senator Don Farrell from the right were involved, as was Industry Minister Kim Carr from the left, Mr Shorten was at a Canberra restaurant working two phones and striking names from a list.NSW powerbroker Senator Mark Arbib and Senator Feeney went to Ms Gillard asking her to stand.

Julia Gillard furious about a newspaper report that Mr Rudd's chief of staff, Alister Jordan, had been canvassing to assess Mr Rudd's support,because he was not sure of Ms Gillard's loyalty.The move came as the government was starting to try to clear the decks in the run up to the federal election, with a deal on the controversial mining tax imminent.The powerful Australian Workers Union last night threw its support behind Ms Gillard.The union's national president, Bill Ludwig, said: ''She's got some chance - he's got none.''He's never recovered from the climate conference in Copenhagen.''As other ministers were meeting Mr Rudd, Mr Crean, a confidant of Ms Gillard, said: ''I am not supportive of a leadership change, I am not involved in any discussions. I am urging solidarity behind the leadership.''Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, a senior Victorian right figure, said: ''I'm not involved.''

Mr Rudd was asked yesterday morning about the report that Mr Jordan had been canvassing Labor MPs about support for him in the role.He said that Mr Jordan's job was ''to be in constant contact with members of the parliamentary party and with ministers.These are the sorts of conversations which happen every day and have done so ever since I got this job - and frankly, in a slightly different way when I became the leader of the opposition. It's just situation normal,'' Mr Rudd said.

With Labor MPs thinking that leadership pressure on Mr Rudd ended or diluted after Tuesday's quiet coterie meet. Coterie members had raised various issues but had not questioned his leadership.Parliament proceeds meet ends today before its long winter recess will not meet again before the election. Mr Rudd is to leave tomorrow for the G20 meeting in Toronto.There is an ALP national executive meeting in Canberra tomorrow. Key members of the executive start arriving in the capital today.Labor nationally ahead in two-party terms, had the government in deep trouble in marginal seats in Queensland and Sydney's western suburbs.There have been constant criticisms of Mr Rudd's leadership style, and his failure to sell the government's policies to the electorate.
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