3 Australian ministers quit over leadership fiasco
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard (second left) and Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swann (second right) along with members of the caucus arrive for a meeting in Canberra on March 21, 2013. Ms Gillard began the task of rebuilding her Labor party's shattered image on Friday after a farcial leadership ballot in which no one stood against her. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
CANBERRA (AP) - Three Australian government ministers have quit their portfolios in the continuing fallout from a bungled leadership showdown that reinforces perceptions of a crisis in Prime Minister Julia Gillard's administration six months before national elections.
Cabinet ministers Chris Bowen and Martin Ferguson as well as Kim Carr, who was a minister outside Cabinet, resigned on Friday over their support for Ms Gillard's rival, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Ms Gillard on Thursday called a leadership ballot of ruling Labor Party lawmakers after weeks of leadership speculation.
Mr Rudd decided against running, although his supporters say the result of a ballot would have been close.
