CANBERRA, ACT. — After Kevin Rudd was sworn in as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia in December 2007, he quickly became one of the country’s most popular leaders.
However, before he could finish his first term as Prime Minister, Mr Rudd experienced a huge decline in popularity, for a variety of reasons. As a result, there was a push to replace him, driven largely by the ALP Right faction in Victoria and South Australia, led by Victorian senator David Feeney, Victorian MP Bill Shorten and South Australian senator Don Farrell.
On the evening of June 23, 2010, then-Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and member for Lalor, Victoria, called for a leadership ballot.
When it became clear that Ms Gillard had the support of the Caucus, Kevin Rudd was forced to stand aside as leader of the ALP.
On June 24, 2010, Julia Gillard was sworn in as Australia’s first female Prime Minister.
