Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday she still has enough support to lead the government despite growing speculation that Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd plans to seize power.
Gillard came to power in an internal coup within her Labor Party that ousted Rudd in June 2010. She became only the third prime minister since World War II to gain power in this way.
Speculation is mounting that Rudd supporters plan to restore him to power through a ballot of Labor lawmakers next week. But Gillard said that Rudd doesn't have enough support to successfully challenge.
Rudd was in the United States on Tuesday and has repeatedly denied he plans to challenge Gillard for the party leadership.
A senior minister said on Monday that Gillard should fire Rudd to end a bitter leadership crisis that threatens her minority government and is repelling voters.
Rudd's supporters have called on Gillard to hold a leadership ballot, believing only he can stem hemorrhaging voter support ahead of the next election due in 2013, but a move back to Rudd risks losing the backing of key independents who give the Labor government a one-seat majority.
If Rudd did again became prime minister, opinion polls show it would do little to save Labor, which would be thrown from office with a losing margin of up to 12 seats.
Former Labor party leader Simon Crean said Rudd should either challenge, give up his leadership hopes, or leave the ministry.
Conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott has said if he wins government he will dump Gillard's major policies, such as a carbon price to combat climate change that is due to come into force on July 1, and a 30 percent profits-based tax on iron ore and coal-mining companies.
The resource tax, which is being watched closely by nations in South America and Africa, is a direct result of Gillard's leadership. She struck a deal with BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata in July 2010, after Rudd earlier failed to get miners to agree to a higher tax. Rudd also failed to get approval for a carbon price.
The leadership question erupted when Rudd told a late-night television interview on Saturday he had learned from the mistakes of his time as prime minister, signaling he would consult and delegate more if he returned to the job.
Senior Labor figures now want Gillard to bring on a leadership vote next week to resolve thematter and end Rudd's hopes of a return to the prime ministership.
Questions:
1. When was Rudd ousted?
2. What does Crean suggest Rudd do?
3. Which nations are closely watching the resource tax?
Answers:
1. June 2010
2. Either challenge, give up leadership hopes, or leave ministry
3.South America and Africa