7/29/2019 Australian prime minister emphasizes loyalty over experience in latest Cabinet Fox News

1/2

Australian prime minister emphasizes loyalty over

experience in latest Cabinet Fox News

CANBERRA, Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard emphasized loyalty over experience innew Cabinet selections named Monday after a bungled leadership challenge laid bare

intra-government turmoil further damaging her partys image months before an election.

Five ministers resigned or were sacked from their executive jobs for promoting a challenge by

Gillards predecessor Kevin Rudd that failed when he decided against running on the ballot

within the ruling Labor Party.

Gillard called the leadership mess appalling in remarks Monday to reporters.

It was an unseemly display, she said. Today as a government we can be united and with asense of purpose, she added.

Most of the lawmakers whom Gillard promoted were known loyalists in the longstanding rivalry

between Gillard and Rudd.

The Resources and Energy Ministry, crucial to Australias mining-oriented economy, was given

to Special Minister of State Gary Gray, a former gas company executive from resource-rich

Western Australia state. The position had been filled to acclaim by Rudd supporter Martin

Ferguson since the Labor government was first elected under Rudds leadership in 2007.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese stayed, even though he had been tipped to be deputy

prime minister if Rudd regained the leadership. Reports have said ministers urged Albanese not

to resign because he was too important to the government.

Gillard promoted Albanese by giving him the portfolios Regional Development and Local

Government. Those ministries had been held by Simon Crean, whom Gillard dumped for

publicly calling for a leadership ballot.

Gillard said she was confident of Albaneses loyalty.

I have always been able to work with Minister Albanese well, she said. Hes been very

central to the life of this government and I believe he will serve very well and with a very strong

sense of loyalty into the future.

Australian National University political scientist Michael McKinley said the promotions were

clearly not made on merit.

If they were any good, they would have been in the Cabinet already, he said.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who has denied media reports that he had been prepared to back aRudd challenge, remained in his post.

1 / 2

7/29/2019 Australian prime minister emphasizes loyalty over experience in latest Cabinet Fox News

2/2

Dumping Carr would have been a high-profile embarrassment for Australia since he is due to

meet U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden at the White House later Monday.

The Australian governments internal turmoil played out in in the United States a year ago when

Rudd quit as foreign minister while in Washington to challenge Gillard in a leadershipshowdown. He was trounced in that ballot by 91 votes to 31.

After last weeks fiasco, Rudd said he would not seek the Labor Party leadership again. Party

leadership ballots are often seen as a solution to abysmal public polling, which point to a sound

Labor Party defeat at the national elections on Sept. 14.

The new Cabinet is Australias sixth in three years. Gillard expects the reshuffle will be the last

before the elections.

Source Article from

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/25/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-ex

perience-in-latest-cabinet/

Waddywood.com Australian prime minister emphasizes loyalty over experience in latest Cabinet

Fox News

2 / 2

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/25/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/25/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet/http://www.waddywood.com/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet-fox-news/http://www.waddywood.com/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet-fox-news/http://www.waddywood.com/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet-fox-news/http://www.waddywood.com/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet-fox-news/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/25/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/25/australian-prime-minister-emphasizes-loyalty-over-experience-in-latest-cabinet/