News.com.au
HE SAYS: 'Only I can save us from Abbott'
Thu February 23, 2012 12:03pm
KEVIN Rudd declared "I can save the country" from Tony Abbott as he told nervous Labor MPs he was the one to win the coming election.
"I do not believe Prime Minister Gillard can lead the Labor Party to success in the next election," Mr Rudd said from Washington DC.
And he extended his appeal beyond the Caucus by saying most voters agreed with him.
Mr Rudd stepped up the aggression of his campaign to be returned as Prime Minister by marking out sharp policy differences with Ms Gillard and attacking some of her decisions.
He revealed he had opposed scrapping of the "green car" scheme of subsidies for car makers, a policy favoured by one of his backers Senator Kim Carr.
He also said he was "deeply disappointed" over the abolition of one of his schemes to fund studies by maths and science students, and changes to health policy.
Mr Rudd was speaking - just half an hour before a scheduled press conference by Ms Gillard in Adelaide - in Washington where last night he dramatically resigned as Foreign Minister with a barrage at "the faceless men" campaigning against him and a lack of loyalty from the Prime Minister.
His surprise decision came after news.com.au revealed that Prime Minister Gillard was preparing to sack him on his scheduled return Sunday, before the resumption of Parliament.
He is now in the air returning home tomorrow and has said he will consult family and allies before deciding whether to contest the leadership ballot Ms Gillard wants held on Monday.
He is expected to stand in the ballot and a close support, Alan Griffin, today said he expected Mr Rudd to stay in Parliament.
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