K-Rudd is king with Ipswich voters

THE voters of Ipswich overwhelmingly prefer Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard, a survey has revealed.

Survey reveals support for Kevin Rudd ahead of Monday's showdown. Picture: Blainey Woodham

THE voters of Ipswich overwhelmingly prefer Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard, a survey has revealed.

In a street poll of 100 Ipswich residents conducted by the QT yesterday, only seven said they wanted Julia Gillard to win Monday's leadership spill.

Kevin Rudd was voted preferred Prime Minister and leader of the federal Labor party, with 65 people in Ipswich indicating they wanted him to lead Labor.

The results came as Mr Rudd declared

yesterday afternoon he would be challenging Ms Gillard at the Labor caucus vote on Monday.

The remaining 28 people polled said they didn't want either Mr Rudd or Ms Gillard leading the nation or the Labor party.

Federal Labor member for Blair Shayne Neumann and member for Oxley Bernie Ripoll have both publicly declared their support for Julia Gillard in Monday's spill.

One man polled said he would no longer be voting for Mr Neumann in response to his support for Ms Gillard.

"He's losing votes over this. I won't be voting for him again."

Many of the voters supporting Mr Rudd said they felt he had been unfairly treated when Ms Gillard took over on June 24, 2010.

Locals Scott Dann and Justin Parkinson both said they wanted Mr Rudd to win on Monday, citing a lingering bitterness regarding the ALP's overnight coup.

"I hope Rudd wins," Mr Parkinson said. "I don't think it was fair how he was kicked out."

Other people polled said they were planning to email Mr Neumann urging him to change his vote for Monday's caucus vote.

An online poll on qt.com.au obtained similar results with 83% of respondents preferring Mr Rudd as leader.

However, a number of those polled said they didn't want either in charge of the country.

Local voter Natalie Sheppard said she didn't believe prefer either candidate but still felt sorry for Mr Rudd.

"I feel bad for what happened to him, but I don't really like either of them," she said.

The great popularity of Mr Rudd over Ms Gillard in Ipswich is in line with wider polls held across Australia.

Ms Gillard yesterday said she believed she would win the vote of caucus on Monday.

"I've said consistently I've got the strong support of my colleagues, and my conversations with my caucus colleagues certainly verify that," Ms Gillard said.

In announcing his candidacy Mr Rudd said Ms Gillard's claims that he had been undermining the Government were unfounded.

"It wasn't K-Rudd who made a pre-election commitment on a carbon tax," Mr Rudd said referring to himself in the third person.

"It wasn't K-Rudd who made a particular commitment to Mr Wilkie on the question of poker machines.

"These were initiatives and decisions taken uniquely by the prime minister."

Originally published as K-Rudd is king with Ipswich voters