Following a month of frenetic activity after assuming the Labor leadership on June 26, Kevin Rudd decided to hold the federal election on September 7, a week earlier than it had been foreshadowed by the former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. The defeat of Ms Gillard was followed by the resignation of some of the government’s most senior figures, including the Treasurer, as well as ministers for defence, communications, climate change, agriculture, trade and school education. They resigned …
