Labor ministers continue to rally around embattled Prime Minister Julia Gillard as backbenchers break ranks and would-be challenger Kevin Rudd jets off to Mexico after the leaking of a video showing him swearing.
The video of out-takes shows an obviously frustrated Mr Rudd slamming the table, cursing and losing his temper.
It was anonymously posted on YouTube over the weekend.
Mr Rudd admitted the clip was embarrassing before flying to Mexico for G20 talks.
"Anyone who's got a touch of suspicion about them would say that if this was done, somewhat embarrassingly, a couple of years ago and it suddenly emerges now, then obviously it's a little bit on the unusual side," he told Sky News.
Mr Rudd again played down leadership speculation.
"There is no challenge on," he said.
"We have a prime minister, I am the foreign minister."
He said two lessons he had learnt since losing the prime ministership were not to control every aspect in his office and to consult more broadly.
"You would be a mug if you didn't learn something," he said.
The conjecture about the Labor leadership has led Victorian backbencher Darren Cheeseman to warn the party that Ms Gillard's leadership is "terminal".
"Julia Gillard cannot take us to an election," he told Fairfax Media.
"She will decimate the party if she does."
Meanwhile fellow Victorian Labor backbencher Steve Gibbons has described Mr Rudd as a "prima donna" and a "psychopath with a giant ego".
Labor ministers went into damage control on Sunday morning, issuing strict warnings to chatty backbenchers to get back to work.
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said Mr Cheeseman's and Mr Gibbons's contributions were unhelpful.
"I would counsel them that they should be focused on working in their electorates and reminding people Australia has, by world standards, a miracle economy," she told ABC TV.
Education minister Peter Garrett echoed her call.
"They should be out there prosecuting the case against Mr Abbott," he told Network Ten.
Asked to confirm reports he had switched allegiances to the Rudd camp, Mr Garrett said they were "absolutely wrong".
"Support for the prime minister is something I strongly give," he said.
Mr Garrett slammed the media frenzy that is fuelling leadership speculation.
Meanwhile independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he would find it easier to work with Mr Rudd than Ms Gillard if he were to return to the top job.
Mr Wilkie tore up his agreement to support the Gillard minority government after the prime minister broke her promise on gambling reforms in January.
The independent member for the Hobart seat of Denison said his relationship with Ms Gillard had taken a "battering" since he pulled his support for the Labor government.
"A word has not passed between Julia Gillard and myself since Friday night of 20th January," Mr Wilkie told Sky News on Sunday.
Mr Wilkie said he had meeting that lasted about 90 minutes with Mr Rudd in his Canberra office last November.
"We talked about a range of things, including the possibility of him coming back to the prime ministership," he said.
He predicted there would be a challenge for the Labor leadership.
"I must confess for a while I thought it was media mischief until I had a 90-minute meeting with Kevin Rudd," Mr Wilkie said.
"Kevin clearly wants the job back, that is entirely understandable."
Labor ministers continue to rally around embattled Prime Minister Julia Gillard as backbenchers break ranks and would-be challenger Kevin Rudd jets off to Mexico after the leaking of a video showing him swearing.
The video of out-takes shows an obviously frustrated Mr Rudd slamming the table, cursing and losing his temper.
It was anonymously posted on YouTube over the weekend.
Mr Rudd admitted the clip was embarrassing before flying to Mexico for G20 talks.
"Anyone who's got a touch of suspicion about them would say that if this was done, somewhat embarrassingly, a couple of years ago and it suddenly emerges now, then obviously it's a little bit on the unusual side," he told Sky News.
Mr Rudd again played down leadership speculation.
"There is no challenge on," he said.
"We have a prime minister, I am the foreign minister."
He said two lessons he had learnt since losing the prime ministership were not to control every aspect in his office and to consult more broadly.
"You would be a mug if you didn't learn something," he said.
The conjecture about the Labor leadership has led Victorian backbencher Darren Cheeseman to warn the party that Ms Gillard's leadership is "terminal".
"Julia Gillard cannot take us to an election," he told Fairfax Media.
"She will decimate the party if she does."
Meanwhile fellow Victorian Labor backbencher Steve Gibbons has described Mr Rudd as a "prima donna" and a "psychopath with a giant ego".
Labor ministers went into damage control on Sunday morning, issuing strict warnings to chatty backbenchers to get back to work.
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said Mr Cheeseman's and Mr Gibbons's contributions were unhelpful.
"I would counsel them that they should be focused on working in their electorates and reminding people Australia has, by world standards, a miracle economy," she told ABC TV.
Education minister Peter Garrett echoed her call.
"They should be out there prosecuting the case against Mr Abbott," he told Network Ten.
Asked to confirm reports he had switched allegiances to the Rudd camp, Mr Garrett said they were "absolutely wrong".
"Support for the prime minister is something I strongly give," he said.
Mr Garrett slammed the media frenzy that is fuelling leadership speculation.
Meanwhile independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he would find it easier to work with Mr Rudd than Ms Gillard if he were to return to the top job.
Mr Wilkie tore up his agreement to support the Gillard minority government after the prime minister broke her promise on gambling reforms in January.
The independent member for the Hobart seat of Denison said his relationship with Ms Gillard had taken a "battering" since he pulled his support for the Labor government.
"A word has not passed between Julia Gillard and myself since Friday night of 20th January," Mr Wilkie told Sky News on Sunday.
Mr Wilkie said he had meeting that lasted about 90 minutes with Mr Rudd in his Canberra office last November.
"We talked about a range of things, including the possibility of him coming back to the prime ministership," he said.
He predicted there would be a challenge for the Labor leadership.
"I must confess for a while I thought it was media mischief until I had a 90-minute meeting with Kevin Rudd," Mr Wilkie said.
"Kevin clearly wants the job back, that is entirely understandable."
Labor ministers continue to rally around embattled Prime Minister Julia Gillard as backbenchers break ranks and would-be challenger Kevin Rudd jets off to Mexico after the leaking of a video showing him swearing.
The video of out-takes shows an obviously frustrated Mr Rudd slamming the table, cursing and losing his temper.
It was anonymously posted on YouTube over the weekend.
Mr Rudd admitted the clip was embarrassing before flying to Mexico for G20 talks.
"Anyone who's got a touch of suspicion about them would say that if this was done, somewhat embarrassingly, a couple of years ago and it suddenly emerges now, then obviously it's a little bit on the unusual side," he told Sky News.
Mr Rudd again played down leadership speculation.
"There is no challenge on," he said.
"We have a prime minister, I am the foreign minister."
He said two lessons he had learnt since losing the prime ministership were not to control every aspect in his office and to consult more broadly.
"You would be a mug if you didn't learn something," he said.
The conjecture about the Labor leadership has led Victorian backbencher Darren Cheeseman to warn the party that Ms Gillard's leadership is "terminal".
"Julia Gillard cannot take us to an election," he told Fairfax Media.
"She will decimate the party if she does."
Meanwhile fellow Victorian Labor backbencher Steve Gibbons has described Mr Rudd as a "prima donna" and a "psychopath with a giant ego".
Labor ministers went into damage control on Sunday morning, issuing strict warnings to chatty backbenchers to get back to work.
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said Mr Cheeseman's and Mr Gibbons's contributions were unhelpful.
"I would counsel them that they should be focused on working in their electorates and reminding people Australia has, by world standards, a miracle economy," she told ABC TV.
Education minister Peter Garrett echoed her call.
"They should be out there prosecuting the case against Mr Abbott," he told Network Ten.
Asked to confirm reports he had switched allegiances to the Rudd camp, Mr Garrett said they were "absolutely wrong".
"Support for the prime minister is something I strongly give," he said.
Mr Garrett slammed the media frenzy that is fuelling leadership speculation.
Meanwhile independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he would find it easier to work with Mr Rudd than Ms Gillard if he were to return to the top job.
Mr Wilkie tore up his agreement to support the Gillard minority government after the prime minister broke her promise on gambling reforms in January.
The independent member for the Hobart seat of Denison said his relationship with Ms Gillard had taken a "battering" since he pulled his support for the Labor government.
"A word has not passed between Julia Gillard and myself since Friday night of 20th January," Mr Wilkie told Sky News on Sunday.
Mr Wilkie said he had meeting that lasted about 90 minutes with Mr Rudd in his Canberra office last November.
"We talked about a range of things, including the possibility of him coming back to the prime ministership," he said.
He predicted there would be a challenge for the Labor leadership.
"I must confess for a while I thought it was media mischief until I had a 90-minute meeting with Kevin Rudd," Mr Wilkie said.
"Kevin clearly wants the job back, that is entirely understandable."
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8421946/theres-no-leadership-challenge-rudd-says