Three more ministers quit Gillard's cabinet
Friday 22 March 2013
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EmailThree Australian government ministers quit their portfolios today after a bungled leadership bid in the Labour Party.
Ministers Chris Bowen, Martin Ferguson and Kim Carr resigned over their support for Prime Minister Julia Gillard's rival, former prime minister Kevin Rudd.
Five ministers have now resigned or been dumped over the botched scheme to reinstall Mr Rudd.
Another three MPs have also resigned from senior government positions.
Ms Gillard bent to pressure from within the party's ranks by throwing open her job to a leadership ballot on Thursday.
But Mr Rudd stunned many with an 11th-hour announcement that he wouldn't challenge her.
His office said: "There are no circumstances under which he will return to the Labour Party leadership in the future."
Mr Rudd later explained that he decided against running because he could not raise a majority.
"There's no point in inheriting a disunited party," he said.
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