From Gillard via the AFR:
“I accept responsibility for my own conduct, people need to accept responsibility for their own conduct. I am as a rational politician aware of how damaging this nonsense is for my political party. The only decent thing for anybody to do is to say … let the caucus decide. If I am not successful I will not run for the election, I expect others to accept the same outcome on that basis. We cannot go to the next election with one person leading the party and one person floating around with ambitions to be the leader. Certainly no leader should be in that position in the run-up to the election. I am asking my political party to endorse me … as a PM with purpose…In these circumstances, I think it’s in the best interests of the Labor Party for this matter to be resolved. It is my intention to call a ballot for the Labor leadership at 7pm tonight. I most certainly will stand. I believe politics is about purpose, not about personality. aFirst and foremost, anyone who believes they should be leader should put themselves forward for the ballot.”
