Australia's Rudd to Decide on PM Challenge on Friday

24.02.2012

Australia's former foreign minister Kevin Rudd ramped up his attacks on Prime Minister Julia Gillard, describing how she betrayed him in 2010 and saying he would decide later on Friday whether to challenge her in a leadership ballot.

Rudd arrived back in Australia from the United States early Friday after he plunged the country's minority government into a new leadership crisis by resigning as foreign minister following months of simmering tension with Gillard.
  
Gillard has called a leadership vote for Monday to resolve the issue to stamp her authority over the governing Labor Party and head off Rudd's hopes of building support.
  
"This ultimately is a question of people power," Rudd told reporters when he arrived in his home town of Brisbane.
"A core question for the Australian people right now is whether they believe the Prime minister continues to have the  trust and confidence of the Australian people."
  
Gillard has support from the majority of Labor's 103 lawmakers, including most members of cabinet, and is poised to win Monday's vote. She has called on Rudd to abandon any leadership ambitions if he loses.
  
A surprise victory for Rudd, who remains more popular than Gillard with voters, could trigger an early election and risk the government's major reforms, including a carbon tax and a 30 percent tax on coal and iron ore mines.

UPDATE: Australia’s Kevin Rudd Will Challenge Prime Minister who ousted him for leadership of Nation.