Julia Gillard 'not going anywhere'

Kevin Rudd's new Twitter photo. Source: Supplied

Julia Gillard has the support of the union movement over Kevin Rudd ahead of the federal election.

THE only way the Labor leadership crisis will come to a head this week is if Kevin Rudd challenges, key government sources have said today.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said he still supports Prime Minister Julia Gillard and he believes the majority of caucus does too.

On Meet the Press this morning, Defence Minister Stephen Smith also backed the Prime Minister.

Meet the Press

Meanwhile, Greg Combet has been accused of "double dealing" with Kevin Rudd's supporters with his eye on his own leadership ambitions.

The Gillard backer and Minister for Climate Change and Industry and Innovation has been accused by Labor MPs of hinting to intermediaries he would not stand in the way of a Rudd return, while maintaining public support for the Prime Minister.

The Rudd camp suggests this is not the first time it has happened, accusing Mr Combet of making similar noises during previous disputes.

"What Combet wants is a leadership change on the cheap as fence sitter," a Labor MP said. "The problem with Greg Combet's double dealing is he is actually being more disreputable than Bill Shorten.

"Combet wants a change because he could lose his seat. The Combet strategy is to try to force Rudd into a challenge so he can play the cleanskin."

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Employment Minister Mr Shorten is seen by the Gillard camp as having switched sides and working to bring about a Rudd resurrection.

His rival Mr Combet, who was anointed by Bob Hawke as a future Labor Party leader, last week publicly called for Mr Rudd to challenge.

"I mean if he has got the support he is suggesting it's available to him to make a challenge," Mr Combet said.

But Rudd backers claim Mr Combet went "off his nut" when it was suggested last week that he backed Mr Rudd. "Combet is trying to keep his hands clean and force Mr Shorten to do the dirty work with an eye on becoming opposition leader after the election," a Labor MP said.

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Mr Combet said last night the claims were another attempt to put pressure on caucus. "It's all crap. Just designed to put pressure on people to flush them out," he said.

"People say all this shit. I don't give a f ... "

Mr Rudd is prepared to dump his pledge to not challenge for the leadership, but his supporters say he may need to be "pushed".

The former prime minister is under intense pressure from party officials and Labor MPs to launch a strike on Julia Gillard in the final parliamentary sitting week.

On Tuesday Ms Gillard will address Labor MPs at the ALP caucus before attending Hazel Hawke's memorial service, but most MPs expect any spill would occur later in the week.

The mechanism for calling a spill, unless the Prime Minister calls one herself, would likely be a petition of 30 MP signatures under ALP caucus rules.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd with his first grandchild Josephine and his daughter Jessica in his Canberra office at Parliament House. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: The Sunday Telegraph

But Mr Rudd has warned supporters he does not want to preside over a divided party.

"Why would he want to walk into a viper's nest," a Labor MP said. But other MPs who have abandoned Ms Gillard said Mr Rudd must "drop his conditions". "The Party won't accept that. And he's got to challenge," a Labor MP said.

Mr Rudd's new Twitter avatar, uploaded yesterday, featured a V for Victory sign.

"He's zen. He has no problems with ticker, cojones, or anything," a Labor MP said. "He's in good shape."

Liberal leader Tony Abbott said yesterday he did not rule out a no-confidence motion if Mr Rudd were anointed, but said he believed it was voters who should decide.

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