The Age
Rudd's wife weighs into leadership campaign
Thu February 23, 2012 1:19pm
Kevin Rudd's wife Therese Rein has urged voters to contact their local Labor MPs and senators and tell them who they want as the party's leader.
Kevin Rudd's wife Therese Rein has urged voters to contact their local Labor MPs and senators and tell them who they want as the party's leader.
Her comments come as senior ALP ministers attacked Mr Rudd over the leadership campaign and Greens leader Senator Bob Brown said he believed Prime Minister Julia Gillard would win Monday's ballot.
Four MPs have already declared their hand with Joel Fitzgibbon, Kate Lundy and Kate Ellis all tweeting today that they will back Ms Gillard. Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten tweeted: "Top performance by the PM this morning, never been more proud of our leader. Looking forward to Monday."
Ms Rein has stood steadfastly by her husband, who said today that he would not hit back at his detractors.
"What ordinary people tell me is they trust Kevin. They respect him, they know how hard he worked ... they know he's committed, they know he's worked hard as foreign minister and tried to do the very best he could," she told reporters today.
"I think he's been strong and courageous and stayed true to himself and I think that's a wonderful thing."
Ms Rein said voters should get in touch with ALP representatives and tell them "this is what I want, I want you to hear me and this is what I want".
She then took to Twitter to reinforce the message retweeting a message from "The Rudd Alliance".
"I would like to urge you all, if you support Rudd, to contact your *Federal* members of parliament today. Today is crucial as Gillard has called a ballot for Monday morning. Tell them you support Rudd and insist that it is vital that they back him in the ballot, for the *people's* sake and that he is the only chance Labor has against ABBOTT," the tweet read.