Julia Gillard still P(rime) M(inister) (of Australia) as Kevin Rudd ducks caucus vote

The Australian ^ | 21st March 2013 | Ben Packham

[naturalman1975]

JULIA Gillard says her position as Labor leader has been emphatically confirmed after Kevin Rudd failed to nominate against her in a leadership spill.

The Prime Minister stared down the prospect of a challenge by Mr Rudd, which failed to eventuate when it became clear he did not have the numbers.

Ms Gillard said she was grateful to her colleagues for their continuing support of her as Labor leader, and accepted it with humility and resolve.

“Today the leadership of our political party, the Labor Party, has been settled and settled in the most conclusive fashion possible.

“This whole business is completely at an end. It has ended now.”

Her deputy Wayne Swan has also retained his position, after Simon Crean failed to challenge for the position, as he had pledged to earlier today.

[naturalman1975]

It says something about Labor's future - when nobody even wants to be Prime Minister because they know it will be one who leads their party into defeat.

[Gay State Conservative]

Unless I badly misunderstand the situation (a distinct possibility) Gillard is deeply unpopular and is certain to be shellacked in the upcoming election.At least that's what the Sydney Morning Herald seems to be saying.What little I've seen and heard of her suggests to me that she'd say *anything* but her prayers (no pun intended...I know she's an atheist).

[mitch5501]

"This whole business is completely at an end. It has ended now."

Yeah,sure it is,let's go with that,yeah it's at an end,she'll be right,right as rain.

[txrefugee]

Ms. Gillard should get Obama’s secret sauce for stealing elections. When Black polling officials can vote numerous times in Ohio and nuns are involved in voter fraud in CA, no one needs to study what enabled Obama’s re-election.