Australian Labor Party leadership election, 2010
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A leadership election of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) was held on 24 June 2010.[1] The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, was challenged by the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, for the leadership of the party, and therefore the prime ministership, since the ALP has held a majority in the House of Representatives since 2007.[2] Gillard won unopposed,[3] and was appointed as Prime Minister by Governor-General Quentin Bryce early on the afternoon of 24 June at Government House where she was also sworn in, becoming Australia's first female Prime Minister.
Gillard had been Deputy Prime Minister of Australia since the 2007 federal election, and deputy leader of the Labor Party since December 2006. She had been the Minister for Education, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Social Inclusion since Labor's election win in 2007.[4][5]
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[edit] Background
Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard became leader and deputy leader of the Labor opposition during the final term of the Howard Coalition Government, in December 2006. The appointment came after a challenge to the leadership of Kim Beazley by Kevin Rudd. Rudd and Gillard defeated Beazley and his deputy Jenny Macklin in a caucus vote for the party leadership. Rudd identified industrial relations as a key issue for his leadership.[6]
The Rudd-Gillard ticket went on to defeat the long serving Howard Government at the 2007 election. The first Rudd Ministry was sworn in by Governor General Michael Jeffrey on 3 December 2007 with Gillard appointed Deputy Prime Minister.[7] Gillard was also given the portfolios of Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion.[8]
After an initial period of popularity, by mid 2009, significant disaffection had arisen within the Labor Party as to the leadership style and direction of Kevin Rudd. According to the ABC's 7:30 Report, the seeds for a push for Julia Gillard to challenge Rudd came from "Victorian Right factional heavyweights" Bill Shorten and Senator David Feeney, who secured the support of "New South Wales right power broker" Mark Arbib. Feeney and Arbib went to discuss the matter of leadership challenge with Gillard on the morning of 23 June and a final numbers count began for a leadership challenge.[9]
The ballot followed declining ratings for the Labor Party and Prime Minister after numerous policy decisions, including problems with the Home Insulation Program, a significant delay to a planned carbon emissions reduction scheme,[10] a move to introduce mandatory Internet filtering,[11] the proposed introduction of the Resource Super Profits Tax and the election of Tony Abbott as leader of the Liberal Opposition.[10] Senior Labor MPs conceded that the ALP's primary vote had dropped below 30 per cent in some key marginal seats.[12] The leadership challenge was sparked after the influential Australian Workers' Union (AWU) switched its support from Rudd to Gillard.[13] AWU national secretary Paul Howes told the Australian Associated Press and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's program Lateline[14] that he and AWU president Bill Ludwig had moved their support to Gillard after making an assessment that a change in leadership was in the best interest of their membership.[15]
[edit] The Challenge
| About the same | Better leader | Worse leader | Uncommitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47% | 38% | 9% | 6% |
| [1] conducted by Newspoll and published in The Australian. Polling (25–27 June 2010). | |||
On 23 June 2010, after meetings throughout the evening Rudd addressed the awaiting media at 10:30 pm AEST and announced that Gillard had asked for him to resign or hold a leadership ballot in the 115 member[16] party room caucus the following day to determine the leadership of the Labor Party and hence the Prime Ministership of Australia.[1]
On the morning of 23 June, NSW senator and Minister for Employment Participation Mark Arbib, Victorians Bill Shorten and David Feeney, and South Australian Don Farrell visited Gillard to tell her they had lost confidence in the prime minister, setting the challenge in motion.[15] At midday, Mark Arbib and David Feeney told Gillard that they could guarantee her the support of the majority of right wing (faction) Caucus members in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.[17]
Mark Arbib and David Feeney told Gillard that the party would lose the election if Rudd continued to lead it.[17] They said they believe the party will win under Gillard.[17] Party sources told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Gillard agreed that the party faced electoral annihilation with Rudd at the helm.[17]
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on 24 June that the final catalyst for this move against Rudd was "sparked by a report in [the Herald of 23 June] that Mr Rudd had used his chief of staff, Alister Jordan, to sound out the backbench over the past month on the level of support for him. This followed a Herald/Nielsen poll which showed the government would lose if an election were held then" and that "Rudd's action was regarded as a sign that he did not trust the repeated assurances by Ms Gillard that she would not stand".[18]
In the aftermath of the leadership challenge, Bill Shorten, former trade union leader, and key Parliamentary member of the ALP Right Faction, nominated the government's handling of the insulation program; the sudden announcement of change of policy on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme; and the way in which they had "introduced the debate" about the Resource Super Profits Tax as the key considerations which had led to a shift in support from Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard as leader of the party.[19]
[edit] Results
All 115 Labor members in the House of Representatives and the Senate were eligible to vote in the ballot. A total of 58 votes was required to secure a majority of the caucus and ultimately win the leadership ballot.
In the special caucus meeting, Rudd declined to contest the Labor Party leadership as it became clear he did not have the numbers to overcome Gillard in a leadership ballot. Hence, Gillard was elected unopposed as leader of the Labor Party. Treasurer Wayne Swan was elected unopposed as Deputy Leader.[20] Gillard was sworn in as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia in the early afternoon.
[edit] Aftermath
On 17 July 2010, 23 days after becoming prime minister and after receiving the agreement of the Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Gillard announced the next federal election for 21 August 2010.[21] That election resulted in the first hung parliament since the 1940 election.[22]
[edit] See also
- Australian Labor Party leadership election, 2006
- Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2009
[edit] References
- ^ a b Coorey, Phillip (23 June 2010). "Rudd's leadership hangs by a thread". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudds-leadership-hangs-by-a-thread-20100623-yywa.html?autostart=1. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ Kerr, Christian (23 June 2010). "PM Kevin Rudd calls on a showdown with Julia Gillard after leadership crisis talks". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/pm-kevin-rudd-calls-vote-after-gillard-meeting/story-e6frgczf-1225883430547. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ Rodgers, Emma (24 June 2010). "Gillard ousts Rudd in bloodless coup". ABC Online. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2935500.htm. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ "Australian Labor Party: A Ministry to Meet Australia's Future Challenges". Australian Labor Party. http://www.alp.org.au/media/1107/mspme290.php. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ Rodgers, Emma (24 June 2010). "Gillard says challenge 'a tough decision'". ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2936439.htm. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ "Rudd replaces Beazley for Labor". Australiantimes.co.uk. 2006-12-05. http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/news/rudd-replaces-beazley-for-labor.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ "PM Rudd rolls up sleeves". Theage.com.au. 2007-12-03. http://www.theage.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/rudd-sworn-in-as-pm/2007/12/03/1196530519129.html. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ "Department of the Parliamentary Library - Ministry". Aph.gov.au. http://www.aph.gov.au/library/parl/42/ministry/ministry3Dec07-25Feb09.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ "The 7.30 Report". ABC. 2010-06-24. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2936441.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ a b Pannett, Rachel (23 June 2010). "Australia's Rudd Calls Vote on Leadership". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575324534190936548.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ Moses, Asher (18 June 2010). "Toxic net filters 'shelved until after election'". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/toxic-net-filters-shelved-until-after-election-20100618-ykvj.html. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ Lewis, Steve (23 June 2010). "Defiant Rudd clings on to power". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/rudd-facing-leadership-challenge/story-e6freuzr-1225883383002. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ "Julia Gillard forces Kevin Rudd to hold leadership ballot". Herald Sun. 23 June 2010. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/labor-figures-plot-to-dump-kevin-rudd/story-e6frf7l6-1225883383543. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ Jones, Tony (23 June 2010). "Uhlmann's take on Labor's leadership crisis". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Lateline). http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s2935382.htm. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ a b O'Malley, Sandra (23 June 2010). "Gillard could topple Rudd as PM". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/gillard-could-topple-rudd-as-pm-20100623-yywf.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ Hudson, Phillip (24 June 2010). "Prime Minister Julia Gillard defends role in overthrow of Kevin Rudd". Herald Sun. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/labor-considers-axing-rudd/story-e6frf7l6-1225883380388. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d Uhlmann, Chris (24 June 2010). "Gillard poised to defeat Rudd". ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2935413.htm. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ "Julia Gillard, Prime Minister After Labor Leadership Challenge". Smh.com.au. http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard--becomes-australias-first-female-prime-minister-as-tearful-rudd-stands-aside-20100624-yzvw.html#ixzz1ko64xQRM. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ "The Gillard Coup | Q&A | ABC TV". Abc.net.au. 28 June 2010. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s2933046.htm. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ Coorey, Phillip; Lester, Tim (24 June 2010). "Gillard becomes Australia's first female prime minister as tearful Rudd stands aside". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard--to-become-australias-first-female-prime-minister-as-rudd-stands-aside-20100624-yzvw.html. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ Koranyi, Balazs (17 July 2010). "Australian PM Gillard calls August 21 election". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSYU01029220100717.
- ^ "Voters leave Australia hanging". ABC News Online (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 21 August 2010. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/21/2989767.htm.
