PRIME Minister Julia Gillard will move to the backbench if she loses the Labor leadership ballot, to be held on Monday at 10am, and expects Kevin Rudd to do the same.
Speaking at about 9.30am local time in Adelaide, Ms Gillard announced to press that she wanted the leadership tensions settled once and for all.
Gillard committed to moving from the backbench and renouncing all future Prime Ministerial ambition, and challenged Mr Rudd, whom she expected to also nominate for the leadership, to do the same.
At the press conference, Ms Gillard was confident that the Labor Party would stand behind her, and then went on to list her achievements in government, in particular the price on carbon, and the building of the National Broadband Network.
She committed to continue her agenda for reform, and called on her party to give her the chance to do so.
In direct response to Kevin Rudd, Ms Gillard said that he was not the only hope of defeating Opposition Leader Tony Abbott at the next election, provided the party was united and committed to reform.
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