Australian opposition leader forced to quit

The embattled leader of Australia’s opposition Labour Party resigned today, a victim of his failure to dent Prime Minister John Howard’s supremacy in opinion polls.

Simon Crean said in a televised statement in Canberra: “It’s been a pretty sleepless night but when I got up this morning I decided to call a ballot for the leadership of the parliamentary Labour Party next Tuesday and I won’t be a candidate.”

Shortly after, Mr Crean’s predecessor Kim Beazley – who lost two elections to Mr Howard’s conservative coalition in 1998 and 2001 – said he will again seek to lead the dispirited party to a national election, expected next year.

Mr Beazley stepped down after Labour was defeated at national elections in November 2001, returning Mr Howard’s coalition for a third straight term.

Mr Crean’s popularity has languished around 20% since he was elected to head the centre-left party. Mr Howard’s popularity currently stands at around 65%.

In June, Mr Crean, a 54-year-old former national union leader, survived a leadership challenge from Mr Beazley who had wanted to get the job back.

With elections next year and Labour’s support lagging far behind the government, nervous party leaders confronted Mr Crean yesterday, telling him his support was evaporating.

An emotional Mr Crean told a packed news conference: “It has become obvious to me that I no longer have the confidence of the leadership group and the majority of my shadow ministry.”

Just two hours after Mr Crean’s resignation, Mr Beazley said: “I’m announcing my decision to contest the leadership again of the Australian Labour Party.”

Mr Beazley’s opponents say he represents Labour’s past, and the party must move on. Analysts say he is a strong contender to claw back his old job, mainly because there are no other potential candidates with strong leadership credentials.