http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/17917433/alp-leader-must-be-directly-...Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants to change Labor Party rules to ensure the elected leader can't be deposed as he was by Julia Gillard, before he toppled her and got his old job back.
Never again will the power to chose the leader reside with a factional few, Mr Rudd told reporters in Canberra as he proposed historic reforms that would see the federal leader jointly elected by federal politicians and grass roots party members.
Each group will have 50 per cent of the vote.
"This rule change is clear. If a leader of the Australian Labor Party takes the party to the election and they are returned to form the government of the nation, that person remains as leader of the party and the government for the duration of that term," Mr Rudd said on Monday.
The change would prevent any leadership challenger wandering in "one day or one night and saying `OK sunshine it's over'," Mr Rudd said.
Under his proposed reform a party vote for leader will occur automatically after federal election defeats.
A vote can also be called if a leader resigns or if 75 per cent of the federal parliamentary Labor Party petition for a spill on grounds that the incumbent leader has brought the party into disrepute.
Mr Rudd says it will allow Labor prime ministers to get on with governing.
"Too often political leaders are going to become timid and intimidated by the usual avalanche of opinion polls when difficult decisions are taken," he said.
"The whole quality of government and governance starts to decline as political leaders have to look constantly over their shoulders."
Mr Rudd rejected suggestions this was simply his revenge.
"It's a principle that goes way beyond my individual circumstances, Julia's individual circumstances," he said.
He hopes it will also shore up Labor's dwindling membership by offering the rank and file a say in arguably the most powerful position in the party.
"Today, as never before, Australians demand to be included in the Labor party's decision making," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Labor was launching a massive recruitment campaign ahead of the election later this year.
"If you support Labor, if you want to be engaged with Labor we are saying to you we want your participation as a member. And in return for that, you will get a say in who is the leader," he said.
"This is an opportunity to re-engage in Australian politics for all those who are Labor true believers but have up to this point questioned Labor Party membership."
The proposed leadership changes and Labor's election strategy will be considered at a special Labor caucus meeting on July 22.
Mr Rudd was elected as prime minister in 2007.
But in June 2010, in the face of dwindling popularity, his then deputy Ms Gillard, launched a successful challenge. With Labor popularity at record lows last month Mr Rudd challenged, ousting Ms Gillard and resuming the prime ministership
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