EO&E..............................................................................................................................................................

 

 

Kevin Rudd’s statement tonight confirms what the Coalition has been saying all along – that the faceless men are in charge of the Labor Party. Kevin Rudd has also confirmed that the dysfunction at the heart of this government is now damaging our country. What he has done is show that this government is no longer fit to hold office. Only the Liberal Party can give Australians the hope, reward and opportunity that they seek. Only the Liberal Party can provide Australians with the stable government that they deserve.

 

 

Kevin Rudd labelled this situation as a soap opera. How would you label it?

 

 

Well, I’ve been saying all week that this is a poisonous soap opera. Plainly this government is now terminally dysfunctional and this situation has to be resolved as quickly as possible for the benefit of our country.

 

 

You must be doing cartwheels on the inside. You’ve just got to sit back and let this implode.

 

 

This is a very sad day for our country because what it shows is that we have a terminally dysfunctional government.

 

Isn’t this in a bitter way to fix that?

 

 

Well the only way to fix the poison at the heart of this government is for one or other of the two contenders is to decisively demonstrate dominance, but that’s only the start. Then the poison has got to leave the Labor Party, and then the Labor Party has got to put in place policies that will actually boost our economy, strengthen our society, rather than damage our economy and damage our society. Now, I don’t believe the Labor Party is capable of this at this time.

 

Do you think Kevin Rudd has a place as prime minister again?

 

TONY ABBOTT:

 

This is a matter for the Labor Party in the first instance and for the Australian people ultimately. Look, Kevin Rudd was elected as prime minister. He was elected as prime minister in 2007. Unfortunately, for Kevin Rudd and for the Labor Party, Julia Gillard never accepted Kevin Rudd’s legitimacy as prime minister and unfortunately everything that we have seen over the last few days is a result of the poison which is now deeply embedded inside the Australian Labor Party.

 

Do you think he will have the numbers?

 

 

Look in the end I think there is a big question now for the parliament and in particular for the independents upon whom this government rests. Can they possibly have confidence in a government as shambolic as this?

 

[ends]