Australian Labor Party candidate for the federal seat of Mallee Lydia Senior
AUSTRALIAN Labor Party candidate for the federal seat of Mallee Lydia Senior said the party could now 'get on with it' following yesterday's leadership spill.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a leadership vote yesterday afternoon, following party elder Simon Crean's call for a change.
Mr Crean demanded Kevin Rudd stand against Ms Gillard.
The Caucus ballot occurred at 4.30pm yesterday and Ms Gillard was elected unopposed.
Ms Senior said she supported Ms Gillard.
"She has done an amazing job in parliament and I think she could go on to do more amazing things," she said.
"This was all brought about because the Opposition kept saying that people in the Caucus were unsettled."
Ms Senior said she believed the vote had to happen to 'clear the air'.
"It has happened and I think it is a fantastic result," she said.
"We can now all get over it and get on with other things.
"If the Opposition has something to say about policies, then let's focus on that instead."
Member for Mallee John Forrest has urged on the federal election in light of the spill.
"Frankly, the electorate is sick of it," he said.
"We want the nation governed and not this focus on one's own navel. We are haemorrhaging as a result, economically and confidence wise we are all going down hill. "
Mr Crean was sacked from the Gillard government front bench yesterday.
Mr Rudd said 10 minutes before the vote that he would not stand.
He said he would honour his previous commitment not to challenge for the Labor leadership unless he was drafted to the role.
Labor spokesman Chris Hayes said Ms Gillard was the only candidate for the leadership and Treasurer Wayne Swan was the only candidate for the deputy leadership when the positions were declared vacant.
"Both were duly elected unopposed and unanimously by the parliamentary Caucus,'' he said.
Mr Hayes said the incident had caused an 'emotional drain on members and senators' and the clear outcome would allow the party to put aside the instability.
Ms Gillard said she was grateful to her colleagues for their support.