Rudd departure paves way for leadership bid

Australia’s foreign minister resigned yesterday, saying he was unable to continue without prime minister Julia Gillard’s support, paving the way for his leadership challenge.

In a dramatic late-night resignation speech from Washington, Kevin Rudd said the only honourable course of action was for him to step down, as reports circulated in Australia that Ms Gillard was preparing to sack him.

“The simple truth is that I cannot continue to serve as foreign minister if I don’t have prime minister Gillard’s support,” he said.

Australia’s Labor government has been torn by speculation about whether Mr Rudd, who Ms Gillard ousted as prime minister in mid-2010 but who remains hugely popular with voters, would mount a bid to return to the top job.

Analysts believe he still does not have the votes to topple her in an immediate leadership ballot, but his move compounds the woes of the unpopular and fragile coalition government.

Ms Gillard has insisted she will lead Labor in to the 2013 election and it has been reported that she intends to call a leadership ballot early next week.

In a statement she said she was “disappointed that the concerns Mr Rudd has publicly expressed were never personally raised with me, nor did he contact me to discuss his resignation prior to his decision”.

Treasurer Wayne Swan accused Mr Rudd of “dysfunctional decision making” and a “deeply demeaning attitude towards other people including our caucus colleagues”.

Mr Rudd, a globe-trotting diplomat, has abandoned his duties in the US to other officials.