News.com.au
SHE SAYS: 'Why I had to knife Kevin Rudd'
Thu February 23, 2012 12:03pm
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has explained for the first time why she knifed Kevin Rudd, as she called a leadership ballot for 10am Monday morning.
Ms Gillard this morning declared she will renominate for the leadership and expects to win.
However, if she loses the vote, Ms Gillard has vowed she will retreat to the backbench and renounce any further ambition for the leadership.
And she called on former Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd to do the same if he contests the ballot and loses.
Speaking for the first time following Mr Rudd's resignation last night, Ms Gillard told reporters at Parliament House in Adelaide that Mr Rudd was not suited to the position of prime minister and his government had been gripped by paralysis and dysfunction.
She emphatically denied ever making disloyal comments against Mr Rudd while he was Prime Minister.
"I determined that I would contest the Prime Ministership in circumstances where the Government that Kevin Rudd had led had entered a period of paralysis," she said.
"Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister always had very difficult and chaotic work patterns.
"In my view he is an excellent campaigner.... but Government requires different skills.
"It requires consistency, purpose, discipline, inclusion, consultation. It requires you to lead a big team ... Kevin Rudd, as prime minister, struggled to do that.
"In those circumstances, I did ask Kevin Rudd for a leadership ballot."
Fronting a large media pack, Ms Gillard said she expected to receive the support of her colleagues in Monday's vote.
"I expect to win," she said.
"But let me be very clear about this, if against my expectations I do not receive the support of my colleagues then I will go to the backbench and I will renounce any further ambition for the Labor leadership.