Thursday, March 21, 2013

Australia's Gillard retains her post, opponent Kevin Rudd having withdrawn, 'big winner without any doubt is conservative opposition and its leader Tony Abbott'-BBC Analyst

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3/21/13, "Gillard: 'Leadership settled' as Rudd shuns vote," BBC

"In the end there was a contest without a challenger, with Julia Gillard re-elected unopposed.

Her bitter rival, Kevin Rudd, whom she deposed as leader in 2010, simply did not have the support within the party to defeat her, as was the case just over a year ago when he decided to mount a challenge. 

Minutes before the party meeting came the announcement from Mr Rudd that he was sticking to a pledge not to seek a return unless he enjoyed the overwhelming backing of colleagues. 

As today's chaotic and confusing events proved again, he does not. A deeply polarising figure, many former cabinet colleagues despise him.

Polls continually suggest that Ms Gillard's Labor party will suffer a landslide defeat at the forthcoming election, and also that Mr Rudd is more popular with the public.

But it does now look as if she will contest the election but at the head of a party in complete disarray and riven with rivalries and animosities. The big winner today, without any doubt, is the conservative opposition, and its leader, Tony Abbott."

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