22 Mar 2013

Gillard survives leadership vote

6:11 am on 22 March 2013

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has survived a vote on her leadership and has been re-elected as the leader of the Labor Party.

She had called the election after senior MP Simon Crean demanded the leadership be put to a vote to end the disunity he said was killing the party.

But Ms Gillard says the vote shows the parliamentary party is behind her and she declared the leadership wrangle "completely at an end".

Ms Gillard was the only person nominated and the ABC reports that the leadership spill fizzled out after former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who Ms Gillard deposed in 2010, declared he would not run.

He indicated that to do so would dishonour his previous promises not to stand.

Treasurer Wayne Swan remains as deputy prime minister after Mr Crean withdrew his nomination for that job.