Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd resigns
Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has resigned, blaming Prime Minister Julia Gillard for a lack of support.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, who was ousted as prime minister in 2010 by Julia Gillard, has resigned claiming it was the "only honourable thing to do" after her lack of support, when backbenchers called for his resignation
He made the announcement at a press conference in Washington DC, where he had earlier met US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
The departure comes after weeks of speculation that Rudd was planning to challenge Gillard for the leadership of the country's Labour government.
Amid the leadership wrangling Gillard had faced calls from backbenchers to sack Rudd - who said her failure to defend him from these attacks had helped him come to a decision.
He did not say if he would be challenging Gillard for the leadership, but confirmed that he would leave the US the next day, arriving home in Brisbane on Friday morning.
Rudd said he would consult his family and community before making an announcement about his future. He would do so before parliament returned next week, he said.
Gillard ousted Rudd as prime minister in 2010 after an internal coup within her Labor Party. She became only the third prime minister since the Second World War to gain power in this way.
The ruling Labour Party government is struggling to retain voter support and Gillard has been slipping in popularity polls. She leads a minority government which relies on independents for its wafer-thin majority.
