A power struggle inside Australia’s ruling party prompted Prime Minister Julia Gillard to throw the Labour leadership open and declare she would leave politics if she lost a vote later on Wednesday among members of the parliamentary party.
The move came as serial leadership contender Kevin Rudd marshalled support for a fresh challenge to the woman who deposed him three years ago.
Supporters maintain that Rudd’s popularity could save Labour from a landslide loss at a parliamentary election set for September 14.
In March, when supporters brought on a similar vote, Rudd shocked them by refusing to stand.
“First and foremost, anybody who believes they should be Labour leader should put themselves forward for this ballot,” Gillard said.
“There are no more opportunities. Tonight’s the night. This is it.” Gillard said she would leave politics if she lost the ballot and urged any contender to make the same promise.
Rudd, the first Australian leader not to serve out a first term in office, has accepted Gillard’s challenge for him to stand in the election for the leadership of the Labour Party.
Opinion polling this week predicted Labour would lose half its 71 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives at the election, including nine held by ministers.
Rudd, if he became party leader, would need to test his support in the house because the government lacks an overall majority and survives with the support of five of the seven independent members.
As prime minister, he could bring forward the parliamentary election from September to August to capitalize on the honeymoon period that voters often accord any new leader.
Opposition Liberal leader Tony Abbott demanded an election on August 3.
“What the Australian people want is their chance to choose the government and to choose the prime minister,” he said. “The only way they’ll get that is if there’s an election.”