Kevin Rudd Is Australia’s Prime Minister, Again

Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd was sworn back into the position three years and three days after he was ousted from the job in an internal government disagreement.

Rudd will replace Julia Gillard, who was removed from office on Wednesday by colleagues worried about the party’s low rankings in opinion polls.

Rudd was commissioned by Governor-General Quentin Bryce on Thursday. Rudd promised to Bryce, “I will do my absolute best.” While Rudd became Australia’s new prime minister, Anthony Albanese was also sworn in as deputy prime minister.

The new prime minister has yet to announce when he will announce his new Cabinet. Seven ministers handed in their resignations after Gillard was ousted. On Wednesday, Gillard was forced to tender her resignation following a ballot loss from ruling lawmakers.

Rudd has yet to indicate whether or not he will stick with the election date of September 14, which was set by ousted leader Gillard. Along with assuming his new duties, the new PM has another challenge — the constitutionality of his new leadership.

While Rudd has the support of a majority of his party, he may not have the support of a majority of Parliament — a requirement for him as Prime Minister. Rudd is expected to make a statement about this to Parliament later on Thursday.

The ballot was forced by government lawmakers who were worried about a possible defeat in upcoming elections. Kevin Rudd warned before Julia Gillard’s ouster that the Labor Party was facing what could amount to its worst election defeat in the history of the Australian federation.

While many Labor lawmakers preferred Gillard’s leadership style to Rudd’s, the ousted PM was facing a deepening unpopularity with voters. After he was elected the Labor labor leader on Wednesday, Rudd commented:

“In 2007, the Australian people elected me to be their prime minister and that is a task I resume today with humility, with honor and with an important sense of energy and purpose.”

Do you believe that Kevin Rudd was the right choice for Australian Prime Minister, or was the Labor Party wrong to oust Julia Gillard?