LABOR Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman has promised a “united front” with Prime Minister Julia Gillard when she visits Geelong this weekend despite last year calling her leadership “terminal”.
“We’ll be working as a united team for Labor to hold the Geelong seats and secure government under the leadership of the Prime Minister,” Mr Cheeseman told the Independent.
Mr Cheeseman tried to douse speculation Kevin Rudd would return to the leadership.
“I think he’s ruled that out,” Mr Cheeseman said.
Manufacturing would be the focus of discussions with Ms Gillard when she visited this weekend, he said.
Mr Cheeseman cited Labor’s investment in the region’s largest manufacturers – Ford, Alcoa and Shell – as “key” to him winning votes in the nation’s most marginal seat.
“Between those three companies, which are a substantial part of our manufacturing sector and accounting for $400 million to $500 million in payroll, we’ll stress the importance about us keeping manufacturing and the jobs it creates strong.”
But Liberal Senator Michael Ronaldson doubted that voters would believe Mr Cheeseman’s “about-face” on the Prime Minister.
“Mr Cheeseman is delusional if he thinks that anyone believes he now supports the person whose leadership he described as terminal and who he said would decimate the party if she lead them to an election,” Mr Ronaldson said.
Labor was “more focused on itself than… on governing the country,” he said.
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