Simon Benson

• From:The Daily Telegraph
• February 22, 20128:24PM
• http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/kevin-rudd-resigns-as-foreign-minister/story-e6freuzi-1226278543773

UPDATE 8.15pm JULIA Gillard has said she is disappointed that Kevin Rudd didn’t contact her to discuss his resignation prior to his decision.

Ms Gillard issued a statement tonight but said she won’t face the media until tomorrow to make further comments.
“I am disappointed that the concerns Mr Rudd has publicly expressed this evening were never personally raised with me, nor did he contact me to discuss his resignation prior to his decision,” the statement said.
She described Mr Rudd as a strong and effective advocate for Australia’s interests overseas.
“During his period of service as Foreign Minister there were many achievements,” the statement said.
“He strongly pursued Australia’s interests in the world.”

Mr Rudd announced his decision to quit as Foreign Minister from Washington this afternoon and will return to Australia  tonight before an expected challenge to PM Julia Gillard next week.

“The last time I resigned from office was when I resigned as prime Minister of Australia.

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He said there were now similar facts at play.

“It is time for plain speaking on this,” Mr Rudd said from Washington at a press conference called at 1am.

“I can only serve as foreign minister only if I have the confidence of Prime Minister Gillard and senior ministers.

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Mr Rudd cited the attacks on him by cabinet colleagues Simon Crean and those he described as “faceless men”.

“When challenged on these attacks, the Prime Minister chose not to repudiate them. I cant only conclude she shares those views,” Mr Rudd said.

“The only honourable thing, the only honourable course of action is to resign.”

In a signal that he intends to challenge for the leadership, Mr Rudd said: “I will never be party to a stealth attack on a sitting Prime Minister elected by the people. We know it was wrong and it must never happen again.”

“Australia must be governed by the people, not the factions.”

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Mr Rudd will return home tomorrow before deciding over the weekend whether to challenge for the leadership when Parliament resumes next week.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the resignation of Kevin Rudd as foreign minister confirms that the government is unworthy to continue in office.
“Kevin Rudd has confirmed two things – that the faceless men are running the Labor Party and that the instability at the top of this government is damaging our country,” Mr Abbott said in a statement.
“Kevin Rudd’s statement tonight confirms that this government is unworthy to continue in office.”

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Mr Abbott said only the coalition can provide the strong and stable government that will address the issues facing our country and restore hope, reward and opportunity for all Australians.

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Key independent MP Tony Windsor said should Mr Rudd become prime minister again, it would most likely lead to an early election.
And if Mr Rudd did try to command a majority on the floor of parliament, he could not rely on Mr Windsor’s support.
“If the Labor Party suddenly want to change arrangements in the middle of the stream all bets are off,” Mr Windsor told Sky News.

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“I’m not going to place myself in the middle of some sort of Fantasy Glades (a theme park) game that’s going on and expect to just keep endorsing people whoever the revolving door produces.
“I did a deal with the current prime minister.”
Mr Windsor said the negotiations he and fellow independents Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie held in 2010 on who should form government were with Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott and no one else.
“If one of those parties wants to suddenly change that and act as though they have a majority in the House of Reps that’s fair enough,” he said.
“But they can’t count me in on playing that game.”
Mr Windsor said Ms Gillard was doing a good job as prime minister and negotiating Labor’s legislation through the parliament.
He said changing prime minister was a high risk strategy that would most likely to lead to an early election “which would only advantage the coalition, probably”.

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Canberra Lower house MP Bob Katter declined to comment, with his office saying he was focused on the Queensland state election.
“In response to inquires regarding the federal Labor leadership, please note that Bob is not one of the crossbenchers who delivered the present government, nor is he interested in the machinations of other parties,” a spokeswoman said.

Cameron: Labor’s faceless men forced Rudd’s resignation

Labor senator Doug Cameron said the “faceless men” in the Labor had forced Mr Rudd’s resignation and this was “unacceptable”.
“This must just stop within this party,” the senator told ABC television.
He said these were the same faceless men who set about to replace Mr Rudd as prime minister in 2010.
“It’s bad for the party, bad for the nation and bad for the government,” he said.
“We just can’t afford to have (Opposition Leader) Tony Abbott given a free ride to the prime ministership of this country.”
He did not believe Mr Rudd had been campaigning for his old job.
His advice to Prime Minister Julia Gillard would be for her express her support and confidence in Mr Rudd and try get him back as the foreign minister.
But he doubted this would happen if the faceless men were “pulling the strings”.

Bruce Hawker: Rudd will contest the leadership
Bruce Hawker, a Labor strategist and backer of Mr Rudd, said he would contest the party’s leadership.
“That is just my view about it,” Mr Hawker told Sky News on Wednesday.
“Kevin Rudd is very concerned about the future of the Labor government and the Labor Party, but more importantly what might happen if Tony Abbott become prime minister.”
The former foreign minister was popular in the polls and in the electorate, Mr Hawker said.
“He has got real support out in the electorate out there,” he said.
“It is probably much greater in the electorate than it is in the party room at the moment.”
Mr Hawker said backbenchers would consider their self-interest in retaining their seats at the next election when deciding on the Labor leadership.
“When you take everything else away from this equation is whether Kevin Rudd is popular with his colleagues or people get along with him or not,” he said.
“One question any backbencher has to ask himself is who is best to lead us to a win against Tony Abbott, because far too much is at stake for the government and the country if Abbott wins the next election.”