Kevin Rudd’s Dramatic Reclaim of 2007 Seat from Julia Gillard
By 9:51 this morning, Kevin Rudd was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Australia. The Governor-general had wished Mr Rudd "all the best as you serve our country as Prime Minister."
Three years ago, now Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the now ousted Prime Minister Julia Gillard were in the same position except that it was Ms Gillard who ousted Mr Rudd.
Now the wheel had turned again in favor of Mr Rudd as he ousted Ms Gillard by winning a Caucus ballot 57 votes to 45.
In his speech given on the brink of the moment last night, Mr Rudd was emotional:
"In 2007, the Australian people elected me to be their prime minister. That is a task that I resume today with humility, with honour, and with an important sense of energy and purpose.
In recent years, politics has failed the Australian people. There has just been too much negativity all around. There has been an erosion of trust - negative, destructive personal politics has done much to bring dishonor to our Parliament but done nothing to address the urgent challenges facing our nation, our community, our families.
"Why am I taking on this challenge? For me it's pretty basic, it's pretty clear. I simply do not have it in my nature to stand idly by and to allow an Abbott government to come to power in this country by default."
Believing that the young Aussie voters were turned off by political issues that had been around in the past years, he called on them saying that:
"I understand why you've switched off - it's hardly a surprise. But I want to ask you to please come back and listen afresh. We need you, we need your energy, we need your ideas, we need your enthusiasm and we need you to support us in the great challenges which lie ahead for the country. And with your energy we can start cooking with gas."
As for Ms Gillard, Mr Rudd said that he was thankful for her work as prime minister. For him, Ms Gillard was a "woman od extraordinary intelligence, great strength and great energy. She has been a remarkable performer."
As Mr Rudd sworn in office this morning, the Opposition had already plan ahead to defeat him. Part of their plan was to unearth all skeletons left behind by Mr Rudd's regime in 2007.
According to a report from the Australian Financial Review, Mr Rudd's taking the prime ministership was not taken lightly by the Opposition.In an internal meeting, the party had already prepared and ad campaign.
The ad campaign will highlight his weakness as prime minister, emphasizing on his failure enforce strict border laws and the pint batts debacle.
Mr Rudd should be prepared and equipped to face his political ghosts from the past as the ad campaign intends to make the people remember that many of Mr Rudd's colleagues made condescending comments about him as his leadership failed within the years.
Meanwhile, Australia waits as Mr Rudd address the House of Representatives at 12pm today.