The former Labor leader, Kim Beazley, has announced that he will contest the leadership again at the Caucus meeting next Tuesday in Canberra.
This follows the announcement this morning by Simon Crean that he is resigning the leadership.
Speaking in Perth, Beazley, leader from 1996 until 2001, refused to discuss anything relating to the leadership, saying his next public comment would be after the Caucus meeting.
Beazley was federal leader between 1996 and 2001. He was defeated in the 1998 election, despite outpolling the coalition on the two-party-preferred vote.
Beazley was again defeated in the 2001 election, in the aftermath of the Tampa issue and the September 11 terrorist attacks and the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. He stood down as leader following this election.
Beazley unsuccessfully challenged Crean’s leadership in June 2003.
He was first elected to Parliament in 1980, representing the Perth electorate of Swan before switching to Brand in 1996. He served as a minister throughout the 13 years of the Hawke and Keating governments.
- Listen to Beazley’s statement (71s)
