LABOR IN CRISIS: CABINET PURGE BEGINS
Yahoo!7, AAPUpdated March 22, 2013, 10:30 am
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UPDATE 11.30 Kevin Rudd says there are now "no circumstances" under which he would return to the Labor leadership.
Mr Rudd says he had been consistent that he would not challenge for the leadership and that he would contest the next election as a local member of parliament.
"That position hasn't changed," a spokesman told AAP.
"Furthermore, Mr Rudd wishes to make 100 per cent clear to all members of the parliamentary Labor Party, including his own supporters, that there are no circumstances under which he will return to the Labor Party leadership in the future."
11am Prime Minister Julia Gillard has thanked Chris Bowen for his contributions to her government, after he resigned from her ministry.
The Prime Minister particularly thanks Mr Bowen for his work as Immigration Minister, while describing his decision to resign as 'honourable'.
10.20 Foreign Minister Bob Carr has addressed the media from Washington, saying Prime Minister Julia Gillard has his full support and he has no plans to resign.
The Prime Minister has emerged 'stronger, rather than weaker', from yesterday's leadership battle, Mr Carr said.
Mr Carr had been reported earlier this week as a Rudd backer, who was working behind the scenes to oust the Ms Gillard - a claim he has emphatically denied.
10.14am Senior minister and Kevin Rudd backer Chris Bowen has resigned from the Gillard government ministry.
Acknowledging his role in the failed leadership coup, Mr Bowen said he could no longer serve under the Prime Minister.
"I took the decision that the best thing for the Labor Party and for Australia would be for Kevin Rudd to return to the Prime Ministership''.
"Having expressed that view, having worked towards it... I decided to resign from the Gillard cabinet," he said.
"I think political watchers will know that for some period of time there's been an undercurrent in our party and it was dealt with yesterday and brought to an end."
"I made the call to support Kevin Rudd. I don't apologise for it."
Mr Bowen plans to re-contest the marginal western Sydney seat of McMahon at the September election.
The seat will be key to any chance the ALP has of retaining power.
9.30 The Prime Minister admits she was 'surprised' that Kevin Rudd didn't put his hand up in yesterday's spill of leadership positions.
The Prime Minister also told the ABC any future leadership speculation can not be taken seriously.
"I think if anybody wanders into a journalist's office in the future claiming to have the numbers sheet they will be met with laughter," Ms Gillard said.
"This is over."
LABOR IN CRISIS
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she expects a number of her cabinet members will be considering their positions following the leadership spill.
Ms Gillard says she accepted the resignation of Richard Marles from his parliamentary secretary position on Thursday night.
"I anticipate there will be a few more people considering their position," she told ABC radio in Melbourne.
"They will do that. I will also consider the view as to what is best for the government over coming months, for the nation over coming months."
Ms Gillard said she had a ministerial reshuffle to deal with and would put together the "best team" to take the government to the September election.
Ms Gillard says the leadership issue is over.
"I think if anybody wanders into a journalists' office in the future from the Labor Party claiming to have a numbers sheet they will be met with gales of laughter. This is over," she said.
Ms Gillard said she did not think the media laws triggered the leadership spill.
"I think political watchers will know that for some period of time there's been an undercurrent in our party and it was dealt with yesterday and brought to an end," she said.
She dismissed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's plan to put a motion of no confidence in her government at the next sitting of parliament.
"I've heard Mr Abbott huff and puff about no confidence motions over many occasions and it never comes to anything," she said.
"Something tells me he's thinking that he can get some media today saying that and then by the time we come back in May you won't hear anything of it."
Ms Gillard said she did not agree the business community was almost unanimously unhappy with her government.
"I meet with business people very routinely, even in the course of this week, which has had its stresses and strains, I've met with a number of business people," she said.
Ms Gillard said she had some big budget decisions to make.
The Mineral Resources Rent Tax (MRRT) had not delivered what was originally forecast and revenue was down across the board, which had "confounded" economic professionals.
She was committed to funding the NDIS and Gonski reforms despite the budget's difficult position.
"We do what we've done over the last five budgets, which is we identify savings, many of them very tough savings, and they cause moments of concern and moments of opposition," she said.
"... we make those savings in order to fund things that we think are a higher priority."
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