JULIA GILLARD PLOTTED RUDD'S DOWNFALL CLAIMS LIBERAL

Stephen McMahon From: Herald Sun November 10, 2010

Julia Gillard has been accused of plotting Kevin Rudd's downfall. Source: Herald Sun

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has been accused of orchestrating the plot that toppled Kevin Rudd.

Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger says the then deputy leader of the Labor Party told a senior Melbourne businessman a week before the overthrow of Kevin Rudd that a leadership challenge would take place within the next 7 days.

But Labor has long maintained the coup against Mr Rudd was swift and brutal beginning and ending in the 24-hour period of June 23 after a series of meetings between Ms Gillard and right-wing faction bosses Mark Arbib from NSW, Bill Shorten and David Feeney from Victoria, and Don Farrell from South Australia.

At the launch of union heavyweight Paul Howes' book Confessions of a Faceless Man, an inside account of the election, Mr Kroger questioned the truth of the Prime Minister's story.“Julia Gillard told at least one Melbourne businessman the week before the challenge there would be a change of leader in the next week,'' he said.

Mr Kroger admitted he can't prove it.

But he says the information came from a very good sources and Labor was close to business leaders in Victoria.

“The 23rd of June wasn't the first time she knew about it she knew about this in the week before the challenge,'' Mr Kroger said.

After more than 30 years close to the centre of power and a number of leadership challenges in Liberal politics, Mr Kroger said it was impossible to put together a leadership challenge within 24 hours and more time was needed to ensure support for any coup.

A bemused, Mr Howes admitted it was the first he had ever heard about such a plot