CANBERRA - New Labor leader Kevin Rudd and his deputy Julia Gillard will this weekend launch a 10-day campaign tour.
Just days after toppling incumbent leaders Kim Beazley and Jenny Macklin, Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard are planning a campaign offensive.
Starting this Sunday, December 10, they will
visit every state and territory, holding a series of public meetings and meeting local Labor MPs.
The trip will be a mix of joint and separate appearances as they attempt to cover as much ground as possible.
"The purpose is to be campaigning for Labor," a party room spokeswoman told reporters.
Mr Rudd beat Mr Beazley by 49 votes to 39 in yesterday's leadership ballot.
Mr Rudd addressed his first caucus meeting as leader this morning, moving a motion of acclamation for Mr Beazley and Ms Macklin.
He also thanked Bob Sercombe and Gavan O'Connor, neither of whom will be contesting Thursday's ballot to elect a new frontbench.
Mr Sercombe, Labor's Pacific Islands spokesman, and Mr O'Connor, the agriculture spokesman, have both lost their party preselection for next year's election.
All four received a round of applause from the caucus.
Mr Beazley was not present at the meeting after flying home to Perth yesterday to be with his family following the sudden death of his brother David.
Mr Rudd thanked the caucus for their positive attitude and cooperative spirit since yesterday's leadership vote.
"He said he understood that these were difficult times," a caucus spokeswoman told reporters.
"He particularly pointed to the fact that these times of transition are very difficult for staff -- obviously many Labor staff don't know what their future arrangements will be until the new frontbench is declared and new portfolios allocated.
"He said that it was his intention to respond as sensitively and as expeditiously to all of that as was possible."
Mr Rudd said Labor wanted to see both a strong economy and a traditional Labor fair go.
"He said that had been the Labor message for a hundred years and it remained our message, but obviously the challenge was to have the policies that translated that message in the modern age," the spokeswoman said.
- AAP
