Isn’t the irony that Rudd is the “scandal ridden pol” who left the PM for Gillard?? So same ole? Why dont’ they just elect the conservative: Abbot?
Rudd wasn’t really ‘scandal ridden’. He was unpopular but it wasn’t really due to scandal, just lack of success.
The infighting is occurring within the Labor party, and if it comes to a vote, they will elect a new leader of their party, who will become Prime Minister as leader of the party that controls Parliament. Abbott is in opposition, and for him to become Prime Minister without a general elections, the two (arguably three) independents currently keeping Labor in power would have to transfer support to him - which is possible but unlikely unless Labor was found to have acted in a ‘reprehensible’ fashion (major corruption, for example).