THE GUARDIAN: Gillard remains as Australian prime minister after seeing off party room challenge by 71 votes to 31
Julia Gillard will remain as Australia's prime minister after winning the resounding backing of her Labor party colleagues in a leadership ballot against Kevin Rudd.
The Labor party room voted 71 to 31 to retain Gillard as its leader and therefore as prime minister. It ends a week of vicious bloodletting by Labor parliamentarians, brought to a head with Kevin Rudd's resignation as foreign minister so he could mount a challenge.
"I can assure you that this political drama is over," Gillard told a news conference.
She said the Labor party would now unite and focus on winning the next general election, due in 2013.
"I absolutely believe that united we can win the next election," she said, adding she was impatient to get on with the job.
Gillard's leadership vote was the best result of any Labor leader in a challenge in 30 years. » | Alison Rourke in Sydney | Sunday, February 26, 2012
Play video of Julia Gillard’s speech here
