I think the very best we can hope for is that our pollies finally -finally!- learn we don't cotton to leaders with blood on their hands.
Wouldn't it be nice if either contestant showed some self sacrifice for the common good?
Julia could step down for the good of the party, or Kevin could resign from the Labor Party. His resignation from the foreign ministry was more an act of war than of any genuine sacrifice.
Where's my crossbow, I think I see another flying pig.
To my mind, this issue really highlights our need for a popularly elected President, instead of a PM hostage to party machinations.

Graham, you seem to be doing what the media does best, not reporting on situations but taking part in them as a partisan player.

I really don't care who runs the ALP. I see a disgraceful situation unfolding with the far right wing Craig Emerson supporting Gillard, his once lover, who is supposed to be in the socialist left but is happier snuggling up to Jim Wallace from the ACL, while Doug Cameron the SL convenor is coaching Rudd, who is even further right wing than Gillard or Emerson.

Odd behaviour all around and they all deserve each other.

That said, no one deserves Tony Abbott and his demented cheer squad, the 'Non's'.

Graham, why don't you and your game-playing media chums alert the punters to some of Swan's expose, by reminding us all of how Rudd operated, with the full support and assistance of Swan and Gillard, in a secretive, closed-shop, unconsultative process?

I think this is a very relevant point overlooked by all since Gillard stabbed Rudd in the back, with Swan and Tanner.

They were all an integral part of the dysfunctional machinery, as was the whole of caucus, never mind cabinet, who so thoroughly endorsed the dysfunction by first of all gifting Rudd the right to bypass the decision making processes of caucus to appoint his own ministers.

Also, this rot is set even deeper than Rudd and Gillard, who played mischevious roles behind the scenes for a long time, during the ever revolving door with Crean-Beazley-Latham-Beazley leaders.

Following Keating's crash, Beazley did less than nothing to reform the ALP, thinking he 'deserved' a run, and because of that total lack of leadership then, we all suffer a total lack of not just leadership but also purpose now.

Journalists who focus on the banal, fail to do the job they claim they are there for, as with almost the entire NewsCorp stable, but frankly, the ABC and Fairafx are no better, baying for blood, any blood, from anywhere, and not providing reports without emotion, or even truthful reports by the sounds of it these days.

What are you going to do if Rudd is content to sit on the back bench.

Julia does not deserve to survive, however I seriously doubt that KRudd will dance to her tune and contest the leadership on Monday. So far, Rudd has acted and Julia has reacted. I expect that to continue on Monday by Rudd sitting pat and leaving Julia further exposed.

Another thought, what is the Coalition doing? Think strategically. The Independents cited stable government as a reason for supporting the Gillard government. If I were Tony Abbott I would quietly be reminding them of that and would also promise them no early election if they support a no confidence motion in Parliament on Monday afternoon.

This scenario would strike hard at Labour when they were most vulnerable, still in leadership turmoil, and the cat would really be among the pidgeons.

Well GY from different sides of the fence we both get a bash.
But thankfully with feathers thrown from afar.
No question ever put here needs asking more than this one.
That defends GY .
Bazz! inadvertently?
Good Lawd man I DELIBERATELY highlighted just that.
22% of Australians are union members.
It can be far more, should be far more.
SOME parts of the Union movement lost still after compulsory unionism.
Yes after decades , still lost, forget union base was government employment.
Power generated by union dues, is, in SOME CASES being squandered by SOME , who fail to remember WHY unions exist.
SOME unions think rising to the top, gives SOME the right to control both the ALP and Unions.
I remind them, as a member who truly would die, yes I would, for both.
Australians, most, did not ever want Gillard and never will.
A victory for her betrays my party it betrays my birth right the union movement and my ALP.
Both must stand apart, if not Labors vote should represent the unions membership 22%
No party the private property of power owners should rule my COUNTRY.
IF Tuesday morning Gillard leads then my party will suffer another NSW.

Does Julia deserve to survive?

If you believe what the media tells us (and the polls)
the answer would have to be a resounding no. Kevin Rudd
seems to be the preferred PM.

However, as we all know in Australian politics it's
the party caucus that decides the leadership of the
party, and not you or I. So what we think although it,
if we're vocal about it -
may influence some MPs, but the ultimate decision is
not ours to make.

We could look at the achievements of the Labor Government
under the current PM - and debate her skills in government - but
as I said - it would not make the slightest bit of
difference. The final decision will be made by the 100 +
members of parliament that make up the caucus of the
current Labor Party.

Good Luck to Them! The country will be watching!

Personally, I think she's done a remarkable job - considering
the difficult circumstances she's had to deal with.
Unfortunately she's learned somewhat late in her term in office
that you need to advertise and explain your achievements -
so that the average voter can understand them. Still, 2013 -
is still a way off - and there's is time for corrections to
be made - providing of course that the party can be united -
and all this distraction stopped.