Leaks drown Gillard
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In the sewer of this week’s politics, much whispering continues over who is the rat in the Labor ranks. This spilling of secret information to Laurie Oakes is drowning Julia Gillard’s campaign, as the first fortnight of the campaign draws to a close. Who’s the leaker? Former ALP leader Mark Latham is convinced it’s Kevin Rudd seeking revenge against Gillard. He suggested in The Latham Diaries that Rudd leaked stories to Laurie Oakes and he tells Sky News that Rudd is at it again:
Joe Hockey may be a Liberal, but he’s got Rudd’s back: “I’d be surprised if Kevin Rudd was the source of the leak, I’d be very surprised.” But the ALP hasn’t lost all faith in Rudd, reports Peter Hartcher in the Sydney Morning Herald: “Labor has asked the former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, to campaign for the party outside his own seat, but he has asked for time to consider the request. Labor strategists believe the former prime minister is an asset for the party in Queensland, where the federal government is most vulnerable.” Regardless of who it was, the leak has put Gillard in dog-paddle mode as she struggles to keep her head above water. Writes Michelle Grattan in The Age:
The leaks reveal what we know and choose to forget: politicians are driven by political advantage, says Paul Murray in The West Australian. “In a country where families are used to politicians pandering to their needs, this will dull the gloss on Ms Gillard’s meticulously crafted warm and caring persona,” writes Murray. Latham’s one to point fingers. “…back in the glory days when Mark Latham ruled the roost, journalists didn’t have to ring the Labor frontbench after shadow cabinet. They called you,” reveals Samantha Maiden in The Australian. It’s making Tony Abbott look like a serious contender just by being there, says Malcolm Farr in The Daily Telegraph: “The election campaign is about to end its second week and the alarming summation for Julia Gillard is that she has not won two days in a row for almost that long. Tony Abbott has taken most days, often by just turning up.” Says Dennis Shanahan in The Oz: “The Leader of the Opposition, who started the campaign way behind and with low expectations, has proved to be far more disciplined than anticipated and is beginning to truly look like an alternative prime minister.” Far from giving Abbott an advantage, this tough Gillard look works. “Then the proverbial hit the fan and, lo and behold, she suddenly looked like someone who had what it took to lead, writes Craig Johnstone at The Courier-Mail. “Angry at yet another Cabinet leak that suggested she was insincere in her support of paid parental leave, Gillard was direct, well-argued and finally looked like a woman with a burning desire to be prime minister and with a decent idea about what she would do if voters put her in the job.” Gillard should be proud. Thank god someone in the government was questioning the constant spending, says George Megalogenis in The Oz:
At the very least, the leak has been the single most exciting thing to happen in a campaign that so far has “been like watching paint dry, if the paint had been advised by head office to defer drying until 2013 for fear of frightening western Sydney,” writes Dominic Knight on The Drum. He offers up 10 other ways to make the campaign saucier, like more Barnaby Joyce, a bit of flirting between the leaders … and perhaps some actual policy. |
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66 Comments
Ah loyalty … who would have thought this would be the outcome of that engineered blood letting by the factions.
If only St Julia would have been as stringent about giving 35 Billion back to the miners….
I’ve been waiting for Latham to weigh in and goad Rudd.
Two of yesterday’s men grinding their axes mid campaign. A great look.
Ahhh ffs, do we have to add ‘gate’ to every bloody public misstep?!?
Latham is wrong about Rudd.
Others have leak motives, too:
Lindsay Tanner = age-old rivalry
Stephen Smith = fear of losing foreign affairs
John Faulkner = jaded and tired elder staesman
Penny Wong = humiliated over ETS and now on gay marriage
Craig Emerson = jealous ex-lover
Sure, Kevin is bitter that Julia knifed him.
But Mark came to bury Kevin, not to praise him, and Mark said:
“Yet Kevin says she was ambitious,
And Kevin is an honorable man.”
Julia said so yesterday.
Hartcher is suffering from a huge dose of ’ Look at me I’m a Star’ syndrome. The headline in Fairfax relating to his story reads..
Save us: ALP’s desperate plea to Kevin Rudd PETER HARTCHER
July 30, 2010
What a load of sensational nonsense. This is a perfect example of the depths the mainstream media have sunk during this campaign. Hartcher obvously feels he is now, along with Oakes the pin up boy of the media. I wouldn’t use his articles to wipe my backside with, that would be high praise of his abilty as a journalist.
Given his seniority at Fairfax, he would have a big say in what heads to his stories include.
It’s all copdswallop. The amusing part is the hypocrisy of the mass media fabricating this nonnsese and then complaining that this is an election about nothing.
The longer this goes, the more persuaded I am that the journalists are simply trolling.
All this negativity will come back and bite the media on the BUM as far as I’m concerned, surely Australian’s can’t be so stupid to believe all this muck racking by the radio anouncer’s, paper’s and television show’s. I watch the matty Johns show each week, but after last night it’s got the flick also,Sonja had to have a sling at Julia Gillard that was very tacky, how low will these people go, it’s about time they got back to policies and the things that matter when it comes to running the country?Wake up Australia, we left school years ago, this sort of stuff belongs in a play-ground, even then it’s not nice.
I must have missed something, but I don’t understand why Gillard needs to even publicly concede there is a leak. The leaker is anonymous, by legal necessity, so there’s no way anybody can verify him/her to be a credible source. If I were the gecko on Julia’s shoulder, I’d just tell her to laugh at suggestions of a leak, and deny deny deny deny any suggestion that any leak might be accurate.
It’s all just another way to divert public attention away from any meaningful discussion of the Liberals complete absence of policy, and their unpopular fruit loop of a leader.
Expect more of this over the coming weeks - and worse - as the desperation of the Liberals increases.
Maccas says “we left school years ago…”
Perhaps he left school a few years early. Apostrophes, out of place, do not make a contribution more digestible.
“unmanly and beneath a decent Aussie bloke to act this way”
Mark Latham is sooooo 1950s. Chesty Bond, MP. (ironically reminiscent of the virile, simian Abbott)
Read Latham’s book: he loathes Rudd and favours Gillard.
As for Gillard- exruciating banality, an awful voice and an ideological vacuum. Now filled by mere ambition. Left faction? Laughable. Nothing remotely “Left” about Gillard. Even Tory PM David Cameron descibes Gaza as a “prison camp”, while Gillard sucks up to Israel. Not a single question on that from journos.
And not a question on her hidden partner Mathieson since The Age exposed him as a dubious “businessman” (failed hair products salesman) and “real estate salesman” for a Melbourne CBD developer: Mathieson is the developer’s agent of influence with the Brumby govt. Gillard’s partner, if not stripped of these conflicts of interests, will sink her- in the unlikely event she is elected.
I am still waiting for some one to tell me whether or not it is true that old people don’t vote labour.
@David
Hartcher and several other SMH writers I once held in higher regard have been waging a viscious campaign against Julia Gillard for weeks now. Journalistic narcissism is undoubtedly playing a part here, but I suspect their primary motivation, like that of Kerry O’Brien’s, is really an ongoing act of contrition for the part they played in Kevin Rudd’s downfall. Unfortunately while so many members of our journalistic elite are busy playing starring roles in the sordid soap opera of Rudd’s removal, Toxic Tony and his Turramurra Tea Party are guaranteed a clear run until election day, with virtually no real scrutiny of their policies whatsoever.
The irony of Mark Latham, without doubt the most bitterly poisonous centre-left politicians of modern times being given so much air time to call Kevin Rudd a snake does not escape me. Don’t be surprised if we don’t see Godwin Gretch all over the media next week being asked that for his own deep insight into Labours trevails.
The media circus is looking more and more like a coup d’état every day
@ACIDIC MUSE…Sky News have taken the gloves off and are now openly favouring Abbott in their coverage, the continued use of Latham suits their purposes without having to have Speers and his mates actually giving the tick to Abbott.
This mornings ABC State news inWA at 11am did not have one word about Julia Gillard being in Perth to announce further broadband policy. Not one word about the Governments campaihn anywhere, but of course Abbott led the bulletin followed by an item about the Nationals and then over to Wilson Tuckey.
This morning on the ABC News 24 channel in a SPORTS NEWS bulletin they used an item of Abbott try to hand ball a footie, with all smiles and cheers, the ABC are also now throwing caution to the wind and openly giving more air time accross the board to the Coalition.
Your media coup d’etat is spot on, they are determind to bring this Government down. We are witnessing a shameful episode in the life of this nation. We still await the catholic church to make their move on the Government although Bishop Hickey in WA has fired the first shots at PM Gillard.
The leaks are acid on Gillards campaign.
Gillard said today she will deliver the National Broadband, on time and on budget.
This MUST be a lie and she knows it.
She has delivered no project on time and on budget, let alone a billion dollar one.
@Tamo
I would sy its right, “older people dont tend vote labor”
The reason is they are old enough to see:
Whitlam - the disaster years
Keating - the recession we had to have. 19% interest rates
The older ones would have seen the Socialist Left Wingers from the 50’s as well.
Open both eyes Lunch…get out of dream world, nothing more ugly than a self confessed know it all who believes his own gossip.
The media is obsessed with “who said what to whom”. How about they start holding all sides to account?… as this is turning into one of the most depressing campaigns of all time….The big issues we should be asking about is what are their plans to deal with climate change, energy prices/supply and a sustainable population. Neither major party is being grilled on the important commitments that need to be made …..and one of them will be elected without saying anything of importance.
I disagree with the proposition that this election campaign is like a coup d’etat.
It’s merely a re-affirmation that many policies areas long ago moved out of mainstream politicial debate in Australia, thanks to domination of both sides of politics by external ‘influences’.
I doubt the News Corp leadership cares much whether Abbott or Gillard becomes the next PM.
The cabal of behind-the-scenes influences (of which NC is doubtless a highly significant part) already controls both major parties’ policies on matters of core interest, such as:
(a) support for the so-called ‘American alliance’
(b) support for Zionism
(c) support for media centralisation
(d) support for a mushrooming, unaccountable ‘security state’
(e) support for internet censorship and continuing erosion of civil liberties
(f) support for a fast-growing military budget
(g) support for prticipation in neocon-sponsored wars
(h) support for the foundational historical myths of our times, such as the veracity of the ‘official’ account of 9-11
This unanimity is learned behaviour over a long period of time. It didn’t happen last week.
What is conspicuous about this election, IMO, is the triumphalism of the media. Rarely have I seen its jackals so boastful about their own importance and ability to mould the political agenda.
But that’s not the sign of a coup. That’s the complacency of entrenched power.
@Sir Lunchalot
Don’t forget to include the Credit squeeze of the 1960s brought about by the mini budget of Harold Holt but often remembered as the Menzies Credit Squeeze.
What is the leak you silly girl? It’s Laurie gossiping because he is Rudd’s friend.
That’s all. The pensions went up not once but twice with extra allowances for utilities.
Good heaven’s the wikileaks stuff is a leak, this is a piddle.
Breaking news: Rudd hospitalised. Terminal incontinence.
Breaking news again: Gillard hospitalised; terminal incompetence.
Breaking news yet again, what’s happening?! : Latham dies: acid reflux.
Meantime, The Ruddster has again stolen the limelight from the two lacklustre party leaders.
He’s just been admitted to The Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane for an emergency gall-bladder operation. Now he has the perfect excuse not to campaign for Gillard - despite his latest press release saying he’s willing to do so. Nothing short of brilliant as a tactic.
Grow up Frank you imbocile, noones poor health is a matter for scorn.
and Zut same applies.
@Frank Campbell, Zut Alors
Don’t you people care about anything or anyone?
It disheartens me every time I realize that there are people like you in this world.
It also reminds me why even though I may be inclined to support some individual Liberal policies, I could never bring myself to vote liberal - I just couldn’t bring myself to ever doing anything that might benefit people like you.
@ David and Oscar
I’m not aware of expressing any humour about Kevin Rudd’s ill health. However, I pointed-out a silver lining to his unfortunate hospitalisation insomuch as he won’t now be pressured to campaign for PM Gillard as he has an ‘out’.
Despite recent disenchantment with the ALP I’m a strong Rudd supporter, he’s my local member. Despite numerous personal criticisms which have been aimed at him while he was PM & since his removal, he is most deserving of my vote as he contributes time and largesse to the electorate.
@Zut Alors,
Apologies - I thought you implying Rudd’s illness may have not have been genuine. I’ve just been through surgery myself, and pretending that anyone in their right mind would do so just to score a political point is completely ludicrous.
Kevin Rudd campaining on behalf of Labor can only be a good thing. The attacks against him have been despicable, and are just another distraction perpetrated by those who are desperate to keep the electorate from seeing that they have no genuine alternative policies to offer.
Oscar ‘n Dave: (i) the usual Crikey humorlessness
(ii) I’m a Green voter
(iii) Selective bad taste is the curse of tribalism: Neither of you defend poor Mark Latham, dissolved in his own gastric juices. Raging bull reduced to a Wettex squeezed over a coffin.
(iv) “Disheartened by people like you in this world”? Why do you think I satirise the toxic political class we’re stuck with? The primitive anti-working class Abbott, now posturing as a moderate. Rudd/Gillard- whose incompetence is unquestioned (do you want the list again? shall we start with the dead insulation installers?) Their knowledge of the empirical world is zero. The bureaucrats who manage the programs, the hollowmen, also inhabit an abstract universe, the currency of which is a debased linguistic code. If you can stand it, listen again to Gillard’s first couple of banal speeches. Summarise them and post both paras here. See your doctor if pain persists.
And in any event he has announced that he will be campaigning throughout QLD and the country “as appropriate”
Zut: That largesse is a key component in raising cred locally and ensuring re-election. It’s nice to see recognition for the results obtained.
John B
Rudd’s seat, Griffith, is safe for the ALP. However, one could be forgiven for thinking it’s as precarious as Bennelong (with a mere .1% advantage) because of the way Rudd works for his constituents. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, at weekends he was always at small shopping centres with his (now infamous) ute as a mobile office - he was accessible and gave an ear to the locals. Later on the nation became aware of his concerted work ethic but Griffith has long been the beneficiary of his dedication.
I am finding it difficult to forgive the ALP for whiteanting him. There’s some cold comfort in knowing Gillard could eventually get a dose of her own medicine. That old line about ‘do unto others etc…”
Who is Mark Latham ?
@FRANK CAMPBELL…you have pissed me off greatly twice…first you join the screaming skull Greg Hunt and Abbott and the Liberal pontificating right in laying the blame of those 4 deaths of insulation workers on the Govt. Get this into your thick head. One of the kids died through heat, being in the ceiling without proper training and ventilation, his boss is currently going through the courts on many charges including gross negligence. The other 3 were all victims of no training, none, never any, by the installing companies. They, the companies are being investigated by Worksafe.There were hundreds of thousands of houses that received installation. At the moment the Government is having every house identified and checked to ensure the bats were laid correctly and safely. If you seriously expected the govt to check that every company’s staff received adequate training before entering the roofs you are mad, insane and a BOOFHEAD. I will not comment on your political affiliation thats your business. Just keep your head together and try and think for yourself. Or vote bloody Liberal if you believe what that turncoat Hunt says.
Second you caused the spill of a perfectly magnificent Stoney Creek Marlborough
Chavig Blanc and words in front of my daughter in law I have never used in her presence previously you wanker.
If you are to make wild accusations check the facts first, now stop annoying a perfectly nice Friday evening go away and I will stop abusing you
David: Your paroxysm is welcome: a sign the archaic paradigm of govt. accountability you’re burdened with is about to dissolve.
My remark that the political and bureaucratic class is devoid of empirical knowledge is not a casual insult. The catalogue of recent Ruddard fiascos all involve the building industry. This “industry” is incompetent and corrupt to its core, a ramshackle, tax-dodging, brutal, ruthless assortment of contractors, subbies, tradies etc. Normal times and standard contracts control this scrum with great difficulty. Are you following thus far? Good. You know it makes sense.
What then happens when a naive bunch of hollowmen, driven by political zealots galvanised by a global financial crisis, hurl billions of dollars at this cynical crowd of career rorters? No hindsight needed, Dave. It’s Christmas for shonks. Praise the Lord and pass the stapler.
Your answer: Praise the Lord and pass the buck to the shonk. Of course the shonk is guilty. But anyone who’s lived in the real world knew what would happen: do you think Ruddgard or Garrett (or the immaculate Greg Hunt) have ever entered a roof space? Or checked out building estimates? Or had any fucking idea at all about the practicalities of “green loans”?
The political class is guilty: guilty of culpable naivete.
It hasn’t drowned her - she came out fighting. This whole thing reeks of Liberal desperation and a pathetic, simpering press.
I am not much interested in what Julia or Tony are telling us. It would be much more interesting to know what they are NOT telling us. (without using their hands)
Frank Campbell states that he is a Greens voter.
The Greens need to be more careful about the company thay keep… or else, FC is not entirely to believed about his affiliations.
J.Bennetts, the serial verballer.
Just read my seven articles on Black Saturday in Crikey last year.
Next leak is out, about Gillard this time
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/election2010/7937762/gillard-sent-bodyguard-to-meetings
To a credulous press can I just say that perhaps these “leaks” are just rumours spread by liberal sympathisers in government departments in the same vane as those of the “utegate” affair that everyone seems to have forgotten.
Julia really has only herself to blame that these flimsy pieces of verbal diahorrea get traction with a right leaning media.
If she only just stood for something this death of a thousand false cuts would miraculously cease and the “leaks” would run off her like a scotchgarded lounge.
Oh someone leaked something,
Is it going to change the way I vote? No.
Should it change the way anyone votes? No
Oh, so Kevin might after his surgery, help campaigning around QLD.
Is it going to change the way I vote? No.
Should it change the way anyone votes? No
Oh the ghost of Kevin is making it hard for ALP (Another Liberal Party).
Is it going to change the way I vote? No.
Should it change the way anyone votes? No
Problem with this election is the policy, convinctions and a battle of ideas vacuum. It is all a bit “me too” again from both sides so you don’t have a real difference to vote for. It is depressing that our political environment is so sterile.
I reckon independents will get a bit of swing this election due to the lack of a real choice. Does anyone know if the electeral commission ever tracks where voters 2nd last and last preferences go?
Do any Crikeyites really believe The Ruddmeister and The Lathamator want Labor to win the election?It will be national Schadenfreude Day for the not so true believers at Villa di Ruddy on the placid shores of Lake Nambour come August 22.
Poor old Ebenezer Gillard visited by the Ghosts of Hissyfits past……………..
Zimmerman the preferred language here is English, forget the attempt at comedy, you were at the end of the line when the talent was handed out. Have a pleasant day.
Could this be another Howard govt staffer?
Before the election, there was a leak about Rudd also failing to attend the NSC and sending a junior operative instead. If it’s the same leaker, obviously it isn’t a Rudd sympathiser. So who else would be trying to bring down the govt? Someone in the public service who’s secretly on the side of the Opposition.
(s)He doesn’t have to have been present at cabinet meetings. (s)He only needs to be sufficiently high up to have heard about what went on at them.
Yea right a Howard staffer…good call……maybe it’s Howard himself…..or maybe Abbott
Zimmerman or it could be another closet Liberal Party hack like Godwin Grech. Did that ever occur to you?
@ BIV, Posted Saturday, 31 July 2010 at 10:14 am:
The electoral commission does not track things such as who ran last or was placed 99th out of 100.
In the Reps, the votes are counted in accordance with the rules till they find the winner, then cease.
In the Senate, the computer allocates preferences for above the line voters. The rather small percentage of below the line votes are entered manually and allocation of surplus votes continues till the last Senator has been elected, with >50% of the last 2 x quotas. It is mathematically possible for more than two candidates to still be standing at this stage, so the last is never determined.
For example, in the ACT, with two to elect from (say) 10 candidates, it is quite possible for two candidates to receive 40% of the votes each. The others would share the remaining 20%. Because after the first count, two successful candidates have been declared elected, the vote stops and further distribution of above-quota votes can make no difference to the outcome, so the counting ceases with no indication of which of the remaining 8 candidates would have been the last to be eliminated - they all are.
@ BIV
What you mean is that Labor have become “me too”, don’t you? You means that Labor appear to have ideologically emasculated themselves for the sake of political advantage.
What you mean is that all the inner city Left luvvies are huffy, and might (shock, horror!) have to vote for the Greens! But preferencing Labor, of course…
Face the facts, BIV: Labor is the only party that has moved ideologically, mouthing platitudes which appear to move then to the Right (to be more in touch with real Australians). They are the “me too” party.
Remember Kevin07? “I’m a fiscal conservative”
Remember Kevin07? “I’ll turn the boats around”
Different monkey, same organ, same tune.
According to SMH poll the coalition are now ahead. Stunning. Labor drop six points in a week. I didnt think all this leak business would hurt em that much. Not the first time Ive been wrong, and it wont be the last. Cute that everyone is pointing fingers at Kev when its obviously not him. He wont get the UN job if Labor lose now will he? And Latham couldnt find his arse with both hands and an instructional video. No, you gotta think someone who REALLY hates Julia. Someone leaving parliament at this election…(enough hints everyone?)
@ASDUSTY
Interesting point, I must admit I was focussed on either Rudd or his ex staffers, would you be thinking of an inner Melbourne Cabinet Minister who is leaving politics?
I cant see what he has to gain. Please enlighten me. He was part of the litchen cabinet, so had a heap of power, but I guess saw that his fomer safe seat was headed green.
I can see how and bitter ex PM or bitter ex staffers would have several axes to grind.
Please enlighten me.
I believe this is incorrect. According to the Candidates Handbook “A full distribution of preferences is conducted in every House of Representatives division, even where a candidate already has an absolute majority of first preference votes. The result of this full distribution of preferences is used to calculate the two-party-preferred statistics.”
Bellistner - Yes - that is correct. The AEC have full records, and I think they’ve been digitized as well…
Thanks, Bellistner and sickofitall,
I was not aware of the full distribution of votes and thus stand corrected.
Yep,
they publish quite detailed stats, for instance:
results.aec.gov.au/13745/Website/HouseResultsMenu-13745.htm
(put http:// in front of the above)
What no-one has pointed out is that this whole leaks debacle has reminded voters of Rudd’s swift removal from office. That is what is hurting Labor right now. The average Jo does not care about the leaks themselves.
@ Robertson
Mate, I would be thinking someone whos antipathy towards Gillard is so intense that they announced their resignation the very same day she ascended to the throne, as a life outside of Labor politics is better than serving under Gillard (Antony Green has written much on the prospects for Melbourne, it will still take a big swing and good preference flows to get the Greens over the line, and as Andrew Crook reports, Labor is spending a lot more than the Greens are in the electorate).
Someone who is a true social progressive, a true lefty as you will, who is aghast at the vicious and brutal total war being waged by the Right of the Labor party against the Left, and who is disgusted by the ruthless way in which Gillard used the Left to get as far as she could (Deputy PM), before her final Putsch to the Prime Ministership and deal with her ideaological soulmates, the Right (Julia couldnt come up thru the Right because they simply wouldnt let a woman get that far. Those wimps on the Left though are all about equal opportunity and empowerment so ride them as far as you can!).
Someone who doesnt intend to return to politics (at least not with the Labor Party, maybe in a few years with the new party formed from the merger of the Labor Left and the Greens), so wouldnt mind giving the Right, ie the majority of the Labor Party, a few kicks in the head on the way out the door.
Someone who, unlike Rudd, has nothing to lose?
Mate, you get the Kewpie Doll….
I think every time Rudd appears on TV we are reminded. As soon as I see Rudd I think “PM”, then have to rethink.
I haven’t really adjusted to Gillard in the role.
Asdusty said:
Actually, it is more likely.
Another alternative though would be a return of Rudd to the leadership if the ALP loses. After all, responsibility for the loss would fall squarely on the shoulders of those who strongarmed him to abandon action on climate change (trashing his own brand in the process), to abandon the RSPT and who then ousted him in favour of Gillard, destroying the advantage of incumbency. He could claim to be the only person who was genuinely above factions and that had he been allowed to have it his way, the ALP would have won. He could point to the seat loss in QLD as showing how damaging his ouster was. Unlike Gillard, there was no point during his leadership when the ALP was not in an election-winning position.
At least, if I were him, that’s what I’d say.
Sorry Fran, no Banana.
While Labor has some form in giving posts to members of the opposition, there are no such niceties coming from the coalition. Abbott will continue Howards policy of jobs for the boys and you will see someone like Minchin getting the UN job. And Rudd was never ‘genuinely above factions’. The reality of Australian politics is that to succeed you have to be involved with the factions. Rudd appearing to be non-aligned was good politics for him but, at the end of the day, its factions that run the major parties and to become leader you must do deals with them. He wont return to the leadership.
Fran I cannot see Rudd returning as Labor Opposition leader. He has been there done that. My feeling is if Labor lose he will sit out a few months then resign. If Labor win, which they can do, Rudd will be in a far better position to ponder his future. I suspect he knows already what he is going to do. But it is in his own interest
……to see Labor win I suspect.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/gillard-quiet-on-tanner-leak-claims-20100802-111t8.html
Wouldnt be surprised if Rudd decides to sue for defamation some of the muckrackers who are continuing to point the finger at him…