Labor’s “faceless men” are once again considering a change of leader, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.
Chief government whip Joel Fitzgibbon has reportedly switched his support for the Labor leadership from Prime Minister Julia Gillard to the man she toppled, Kevin Rudd.
Fairfax and News Limited papers say Mr Fitzgibbon is now openly canvassing caucus for votes to return Mr Rudd to the top job.
Mr Fitzgibbon on Sunday took to Twitter to say: “I thank my colleagues for the publicity but no one does more to support the PM and the government than me!”
Ms Gillard said she was satisfied with that tweet but Mr Abbott described the episode as an unedifying spectacle.
“Obviously the faceless men who run the Labor Party are now yet again reconsidering the question of the leadership,” Mr Abbott told reporters in the NSW town of Goulburn.
“As long as the Labor Party is focused on itself it is not getting on with the job of governing our country.”
Mr Fitzgibbon’s tweet had highlighted the divisions with the government, Mr Abbott said.
“Plainly he has not actually denied the story so that tweet was his way of putting the leadership problems of this government up there in flashing neon lights.”
Mr Abbott also took aim at divisions between Ms Gillard and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen over a plan to bring in foreign workers to work on an iron ore project.
“It’s a government at war with itself,” he said.
“It’s a government where the left hand doesn’t now what the far left hand is doing.”
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