Australia’s Labor party: Rudd resigns, redux

Feb 23rd 2012, 7:25 by R.M. | SYDNEY, The Economist —

AFTER weeks of political turmoil Julia Gillard, Australia’s prime minister, has scheduled a showdown with Kevin Rudd, whom she unseated as Labor Party leader and prime minister in 2010. Mr Rudd quit dramatically as foreign minister at 1 o’clock in the morning on February 22nd, while on a visit to Washington, DC. He did so accusing Ms Gillard of failing to repudiate charges of disloyalty against him, and declared he could no longer serve in her government. Next day, Ms Gillard responded by announcing a ballot for the leadership of the ruling Labor Party on February 27th. She will contest it, and says she expects to win. Mr Rudd has yet to declare his intentions—but everyone assumes he will try to seize his old job back.

Mr Rudd led Labor to victory in 2007, ending 11 years of conservative Liberal-National coalition rule. He set an exhausting pace as prime minister. But his autocratic approach to policy and running the government created divisions. It opened the way for Ms Gillard, his deputy, to mount a coup before his first term was out. At the time, she justified her move by saying that a “good government was losing its way”. . . .

Australia’s Labor party: Rudd resigns, redux | The Economist