Australia PM seeks to rebuild party image after vote farce

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Friday set about rebuilding her Labor party's shattered image after a botched leadership coup dealt a huge blow to its already slim election prospects. Gillard called a shock vote for the ruling party's leadership Thursday after senior minister Simon Crean openly urged a ballot to end rampant speculation that he said was "killing" the party. But she was re-elected unopposed after her top rival, former leader Kevin Rudd who Gillard ruthlessly ousted in mid-2010, realised he would fall short of the numbers required and opted out just minutes before the vote was held. Rudd's office issued a statement Friday ruling out the prospect of him ever being Labor leader again. "Mr Rudd wishes to make 100 percent clear to all members of the parliamentary Labor party... that there are no circumstances under which he will return to the Labor party leadership in the future," it said. So far seven politicians who sided with him have been sacked or resigned, with more expected to go in a purge ahead of a cabinet reshuffle just six months out from national elections. The highest-profile casualties, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and another cabinet member Chris Bowen, fell on their swords Friday while Crean was fired in the aftermath of the farcical day of political games. With the conservative opposition vowing to put a motion of no confidence in the government at the next sitting of parliament on May 14 to try to force early polls, Gillard took to the airwaves in an attempt to calm nerves. She said the message from the failed ballot was that the leadership issue was "over, it's clearly over". "There was an opportunity, the opportunity wasn't used," she told national radio. "I think political watchers will know that for some period of time there's been an undercurrent in our party and it was dealt with yesterday and brought to an end." The most recent polls showed Labor would be crushed by the conservative opposition led by Tony Abbott if an election was held now, and that it stood a much better chance of victory under Rudd. While Gillard scored a tactical victory, Australian media said the bitter in-fighting was a disaster for the party which has drawn flak for weak leadership and policy U-turns that have seen the premier dubbed "Ju-liar". "They look like Keystone Cops and the real test is still to come," The Sydney Morning Herald said, referring to the September 14 election. Australia's Daily Telegraph was more brutal, screaming: "Chicken Kev does his dash with Gillard leading Labor into oblivion," while a more measured Australian Financial Review noted: "Everyone's bloodied in this train wreck." Despite being fired, the man who instigated the ballot, Crean, said he achieved his objective of halting destabilisation of the party. "It's not a mess if it provides the basis for a regeneration," he said. We have got a united party at the leadership level. It has been a circuit breaker." But Nick Economou, a political analyst at Monash University, said it was looking bleak for Labor. "It has been clear for a long time that there is probably very little chance of Labor winning the next federal election," he said. "Their credibility is non-existent in the eyes of the population and they are on their way to an absolute hiding." Gillard said Friday she expected more of Rudd's supporters to resign so the party could move forward with a clean slate. "I anticipate there will be a few more people considering their position," she said. "They will do that. I will also consider the view as to what is best for the government over coming months, for the nation over coming months."