John
06-28-2010, 07:03 AM
Australia's new Prime Minister Julia Gillard left dumped ex-leader Kevin Rudd out of her first cabinet Monday as she announced a minor pre-election reshuffle after her spectacular rise to power.
Gillard said Trade Minister Simon Crean would take over the education and employment portfolios that she vacated after becoming Australia's first woman prime minister in last week's quickfire leadership challenge.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith will add Crean's trade portfolio to his list of responsibilities while Rudd, who was left in tears by the sudden party revolt, will remain sidelined until after polls that could be just weeks away.
"I would be absolutely delighted to see him (Rudd) serve as a senior cabinet minister in the team if the government is re-elected," Gillard told reporters.
"This will be a close, hard-fought contest but if the government is re-elected I will be very delighted to welcome Kevin Rudd into the cabinet in a senior position."
Gillard added that popular Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner would remain in the post until the polls despite announcing his intention not to seek re-election.
"I have determined that it is best to have as limited a reshuffle as possible to keep the maximum stability amongst the team and to keep our focus on the work that Australians need the government to be doing," she said.
Gillard swept to power last Thursday when the alienated Rudd, whose enduring popularity had fallen from record highs, stood aside from a parliamentary party vote to avoid a humiliating defeat.
The shock move has delivered an early popularity boost with Labor returning to a seven-point advantage and Gillard well ahead of opposition chief Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister, according to the latest Newspoll.
The survey of about 1,100 voters, which roughly chimed with polls released over the weekend, found 53 percent wanted Gillard as prime minister against just 29 percent for conservative Coalition leader Abbott.
"It's not skyrocketing yet but it's very good ... the vast majority think that Julia will be at least as good as Kevin, or better," Newspoll's Martin O'Shannessy told Sky News.
The unmarried, Welsh-born lawyer has promised elections within months as she sets about reversing Rudd's failures by negotiating on a damaging row over a new mining tax.
She has also turned her back on the "Big Australia" embraced by Rudd, which envisioned a 60 percent population explosion by 2050 and had prompted concerns over housing, urban congestion and the availability of water.
New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key Monday said Gillard may seek a popular mandate as soon as August as she seeks to capitalise on her honeymoon period amongst voters.
"I think six weeks ... she's had quite a big lift up in the polls over the weekend," Key told Television New Zealand.
Gillard said Trade Minister Simon Crean would take over the education and employment portfolios that she vacated after becoming Australia's first woman prime minister in last week's quickfire leadership challenge.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith will add Crean's trade portfolio to his list of responsibilities while Rudd, who was left in tears by the sudden party revolt, will remain sidelined until after polls that could be just weeks away.
"I would be absolutely delighted to see him (Rudd) serve as a senior cabinet minister in the team if the government is re-elected," Gillard told reporters.
"This will be a close, hard-fought contest but if the government is re-elected I will be very delighted to welcome Kevin Rudd into the cabinet in a senior position."
Gillard added that popular Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner would remain in the post until the polls despite announcing his intention not to seek re-election.
"I have determined that it is best to have as limited a reshuffle as possible to keep the maximum stability amongst the team and to keep our focus on the work that Australians need the government to be doing," she said.
Gillard swept to power last Thursday when the alienated Rudd, whose enduring popularity had fallen from record highs, stood aside from a parliamentary party vote to avoid a humiliating defeat.
The shock move has delivered an early popularity boost with Labor returning to a seven-point advantage and Gillard well ahead of opposition chief Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister, according to the latest Newspoll.
The survey of about 1,100 voters, which roughly chimed with polls released over the weekend, found 53 percent wanted Gillard as prime minister against just 29 percent for conservative Coalition leader Abbott.
"It's not skyrocketing yet but it's very good ... the vast majority think that Julia will be at least as good as Kevin, or better," Newspoll's Martin O'Shannessy told Sky News.
The unmarried, Welsh-born lawyer has promised elections within months as she sets about reversing Rudd's failures by negotiating on a damaging row over a new mining tax.
She has also turned her back on the "Big Australia" embraced by Rudd, which envisioned a 60 percent population explosion by 2050 and had prompted concerns over housing, urban congestion and the availability of water.
New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key Monday said Gillard may seek a popular mandate as soon as August as she seeks to capitalise on her honeymoon period amongst voters.
"I think six weeks ... she's had quite a big lift up in the polls over the weekend," Key told Television New Zealand.