Rudd denies ghostwriting McKew's book

Kevin Rudd with Maxine McKew when she was the member for Bennalong. Picture: Jim Trifyllis Source: The Daily Telegraph

FORMER prime minister Kevin Rudd has shrugged off suggestions that he ghostwrote ex-MP Maxine McKew's tell-all political book, saying the claim "verges on sexism".

The denial came after Ms McKew, who at the 2010 election lost the Sydney seat of Bennelong which three years earlier she had captured from then prime minister John Howard, also rejected claims Mr Rudd had ghostwritten her book Tales From The Trenches.

"For anyone to accuse a prominent journalist such as Ms McKew of not being able to write her own book I think verges on sexism," Mr Rudd told reporters today after giving a speech in Mandarin at a Chinese cultural event in Sydney.

In her book, Ms McKew accuses Prime Minister Julia Gillard of manufacturing a leadership crisis in the ALP before challenging Mr Rudd for the Labor leadership in 2010.

She also says Ms Gillard's office launched an "offensive and sexist" smear campaign against her that included leaking confidential correspondence.

Today, Mr Rudd refused to comment on speculation that he was considering another tilt at the ALP leadership.

He also denied that he had attended the Chong Yeung celebrations in Sydney's west today simply to upstage Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, who was also at the cultural event.

But Mr Abbott said the book shows Labor is at war with itself.

Kevin Rudd , along with federal member for Chifley Ed Husic (on right) is surrounded by supporters while attending the Chung Yeung celebrations with members of the local Chinese-Australian community at Pinegrove memorial park in Sydney's west. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

He said the Labor party should resolve its leadership tensions quickly.

"It cannot go on at war with itself," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

"A house divided cannot stand, but that's what we've got from the Labor party.

"We've got constant division, we've got what looks to be an incipient challenge from Kevin Rudd and I think the Labor party needs to sort itself out, it needs to get its act together."

Mr Rudd upstaged Mr Abbott by delivering his speech in Mandarin.

He said Mr Abbott was all about creating any type of diversion strategy rather than outlining his policy vision.

"Mr Abbott can rabbit on as much as he likes about all these sort of things. I'm concerned about a policy debate for the future," Mr Rudd told reporters.

(from left) Federal opposition leader Tony Abbott, Invocare CEO Andrew Smith and Kevin Rudd attend Chung Yeung celebrations with members of the local Chinese-Australian community at Pinegrove memorial park in Sydney's west. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

In the book, Ms Gillard is portrayed as a control freak who manufactured a leadership crisis to become PM in a "classic stitch-up" of Kevin Rudd.

Party chiefs are furious the book's release has been timed to reignite Labor's leadership wars in the traditional leadership "killing zone", the final parliamentary sitting week of the year.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the book accuses Ms Gillard's supporters of cooking up a false story to trigger the leadership crisis.

The Prime Minister had long maintained her decision to challenge Mr Rudd for the leadership was only made on the day, a view Ms McKew dismisses as a fiction.

On June 23, the day of the leadership showdown, it was reported Mr Rudd's chief-of-staff Alister Jordan was sounding out MPs on the leadership, a clear sign he did not trust Ms Gillard's pledges of loyalty. Colleagues say the report enraged Ms Gillard, who confronted Mr Rudd in the prime minister's office before issuing a leadership challenge.

But Ms McKew contends it was all a fig leaf to cover the plot to seize the leadership.

"It was totally manufactured," Ms McKew writes in her book.

Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott along with his wife Margie, attend Chung Yeung celebrations. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

"To make any sense at all the leak had to come from Gillard supporters.

"Was this a case of mock outrage by Gillard?"

But Labor MP Michael Danby has revealed for the first time that he was one of many MPs Mr Jordan spoke to and he believed the subtle soundings to be about the leadership.

"My impression was that Alister was visiting a lot of people who were critics," Mr Danby told The Sunday Telegraph.

A senior Labor MP has also told The Sunday Telegraph Ms Gillard had been sounding out MPs and visited him on the Monday to discuss the government's fortunes.

"Gillard was up to her eyeballs in the whole thing," he said.

"She called me around to her office on the Monday. I said we should back Rudd in. She gave me a bit of a non-response. In retrospect, it was a very strange conversation."

But Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten said reports that Ms Gillard had plotted against Mr Rudd were "factually incorrect".

Mr Shorten also dismissed references to the Prime Minister as a "control freak".

"I saw some references implying that our Prime Minister is overbearing in her manner. That isn't true," he told ABC television today.

Mr Shorten said he was confident Ms Gillard could withstand the controversy the book was sure to stir.

"The Prime Minister I know is strong," he said.

"Our Prime Minister has had to cop more attacks on her than most people have."

Ms McKew dismissed suggestions the November 1 release date was about stoking leadership tensions, arguing it was simply about pre-Christmas sales.

"I have certainly reviewed the events leading up to Rudd's removal as leader. To produce a memoir where I did not mention this exceptional event would not have been credible," she said.

"I am aware this book will cause discomfort for some in the Labor Party. Others will welcome it."

Labor insiders predicted the book would prove "explosive".

Some Labor officials have turned on Ms McKew, accusing her of throwing a "hissy fit" during the 2010 campaign and throwing away her prize seat of Bennelong, which she won from John Howard in 2007.

"She effectively went on strike," a Labor source said.

"Her view was she had beaten Howard and she couldn't lose."

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