Gillard shrugs off Richo ‘gossip’ on Labor leadership

Kevin Rudd, Alan Joyce

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, left, with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce in Sydney yesterday attending a Qantas lecture. Picture: Noel Kessel.


Source: The Daily Telegraph




JULIA Gillard and some of her most senior colleagues have slapped down claims two Labor backbenchers are spearheading a backroom campaign to resurrect Kevin Rudd as leader.


Former Labor powerbroker and media commentator Graham Richardson used his Richo program on Sky News to “out” Victorian Labor MP Alan Griffin and West Australian Senator Mark Bishop as being behind leadership destabilisation.

He claimed Mr Griffin was “constantly in his colleagues’ ears talking up a Rudd rescue” and Senator Bishop “is also spruiking Rudd’s virtues”.

In an opinion piece for The Australian today, Mr Richardson reiterates his claims. “Alan Griffin, the MP for the seat of Bruce, has been doing much of the work for Kevin Rudd,” he writes. “He is a pretty good operator. An experienced pollie, who knows which way is up. He is constantly in his colleagues’ ears talking up a Rudd rescue.”

Mr Griffin and Senator Bishop did not comment yesterday.

But the latest scuttlebutt set off renewed speculation about Ms Gillard’s tenure as her unpopular government struggles with issues such as the failed Malaysia swap deal and carbon tax.

But the Prime Minister yesterday said it was all talk. “Ex-Labor politicians who have become media commentators are going to chatter about insider gossip because the media wants that kind of chatter,” she told ABC Radio.

The Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, dismissed the allegations, saying Mr Richardson suffered from “relevance deprivation syndrome”.

Skills Minister Chris Evans weighed in, defending the Prime Minister’s popularity within the party. “I think Julia Gillard’s got very strong support in the caucus,” he said. “We are going through a difficult period, but the party’s very united behind her.”

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said he had not heard widespread discussion in caucus about a leadership change.

“What you’ve got is a few squeaky noises, no different to what’s going on in Tony Abbott’s Coalition party room at the moment,” Senator Conroy told the Nine Network.

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