With the level of backgrounding seemingly exploding in Canberra at the moment, you’d think that the move must be on to replace Julia Gillard. The trouble is, the Prime Minister must also surely know, that a leadership challenge now would be absolutely fatal for Labor’s electoral chances and to force her colleagues into that position would be unforgivable.

The unbridled venom unleashed against Kevin Rudd during the February 2012 leadership contest, was so viscous that it ensured another challenge would be impossible. I don’t think the electorate has forgotten that it seemed Prime Minister Gillard and her key supporters, with the exception of Stephen Smith, had lost the plot and decided that a scorched earth was preferable to Rudd’s return. Their reckless action also provided Opposition leader, Tony Abbott with a plethora of footage and quotes to help destroy Labor at the next election.

Incalculable damage has already been inflicted on the Government’s chances of surviving this current crisis. If Prime Minister Gillard continues with her visibly desperate attempts to cling to power, there’ll only be a carcass of a government remaining and Labor’s chances of saving a rump of the party let alone winning the election, will be dead.

If there is to be any hope for her party members, she should do the honourable thing, resign now and quietly present a new leader, someone who has a glimmer of a chance to lead. And, by glimmer, I don’t mean Simon Crean! There’s chat about that he might be tapped for the job. But while he seems decent enough, he was dumped as party leader 10 years ago for a reason.

There must be someone in the government who can believably string words together, look us sincerely in the eye and tell the electorate why an Abbott government would be such a devastating outcome for Australia.

Also check out:
• Trouble brewing, but don’t blame it on the usual bloke by Peter Hartcher.
(Age, 19 March 2013)

Will/should Julia see the tide and resign or will she continue to tune out the clamour with her “tin ear”?

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