Today's leadership ballot result was very strong for Julia Gillard, but where does Labor go from here?

It's possible that Rudd will go to the backbench and make himself as conspicuous as possible so that the stories of a fresh challenge just circulate without him actually doing anything until the situation just comes around again.

It's equally possible that this is the making of Julia Gillard. She gave some good speeches during the challenge, and perhaps over time the messages about Rudd will sink in with the electorate and his popularity will drop.

There is certainly an aspect of this challenge that was to do with unfinished business to do with the way Rudd was deposed in June 2010. A sense that Rudd was unfairly dealt with then might be part of the reason for his high public support.

Another possibility is that Gillard survives but doesn't improve and a third person takes on the leadership.

If Gillard is to survive she needs a coherent narrative, as Paul Keating pointed out. I wonder what that might be.

Dear GrahamY,

You said "A sense that Rudd was unfairly dealt with then might be part of the reason for his high public support."

That is why I love this country.

Graham I have it great authority that Arbib was booted for bullying his colleagues to vote for Gillard.

But Graham if Gillard can't get all her supposed friends to vote for her she might really as well have none.

And Laura Tingle made it plain in her respond to Media Watch that Rudd was not doing anything, back grounding anyone, talking to anyone or doing anything to upset the party.

Julia Gillard has clearly demonstrated her ability
to lead in the way she has handled this latest
challenge - and she has shown that she has learned
from the mistakes of the past. Kevin
Rudd has also made it quite clear that he will support
the PM and there shall be no further challenges from
him. From all appearances it seems that the party
will come out of this stronger than it ever was.
Their main aim now appears to be - to get on with
governing the country and with achieving positive
outcomes for the Asutralian people. If this does happen,
things will look good for them at the next election.
Perhaps the Coalition needs to take a closer look
at its current leadership. I wonder if Mr Abbott would
achieve the numbers if there was a leadership spill in
his party. Last time he only won by one vote. Would he
be so lucky this time around.

I wounder how many who contribute here have met and known Mark.
In answering Grahams question I have and do know him.
Once, maybe the very reason factions control Labor/any party, the left extremes had to be contained.
Without that containment my party would be forever in the wilderness.
Mark did the right thing, at very long last, by leaving.
He has to be blamed for much of both NSW and Federal Labors problems.
His tactics resemble Dictatorship.
He leaves a living acting shadow, acting much the same.
Lexi looks for Fields of flowers, I see slag heaps and trouble.
I live for my party, it is not me, not Lexi the ALP must win over.
It is those Australians who will not trust the new Gillard.
Not fall for the well scripted hair styled Julie.
And it is not true believes we need to trust us.
It is, as always, those Rudd bought with him in 07.
Those who do not and never will want Gillard.
Labor voters want the policy's we set out and achieve.
But Julie looks unable to sell them, still.
She may as well be selling rotting raw fish, outside the yellow arches at lunch time, she lets Abbott control debate.
Bill Shorten, he will in time be the one, but will the Gillard faction, that is what she is, continue past practice.
Passing leadership between them like a beach ball.
Failures at play Latham Crean Gillard,will the ball fall to Cretin Crean or Pyne impersonator Fitzgibbon?
Labor will learn , will after much pain heal and reform.
But much faster than expected.
Like the Kevin Rudd time [unlikely he gets another chance] Abbott's team is not ready to govern and will find trouble soon after taking office.

My thoughts come from love for my party and the wish it continues to change.
Weary of both the everything is wonderful view and the no need for change I think we should change.
From this achieving government we find the certainty we are bound for defeat.
We hear and see nothing of achievements.
Only our own negatives even promoting them.
It will take much effort, we shed voters to out true Nemesis, Greens this last week.
Is the ALP a party of change still, then who controls it, power brokers?
How can we sell our selves to those who do not want power brokers.
Gillard, who never even seemed important enough till now, to be told why we replaced our leader.
Are voters the judge or not?
Labor, not long ago, let 60% of votes on the floor of conference,go to unions.
Soon with out the change we are to get post Gillard, you can hold those meetings in a phone box.
In the end, even considering voters will forget this week, the stabbings, is an insult to those voters ability to think.
REFORM NOW ALP.