澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-06-24

The Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard will stand against Mr Rudd in a leadership ballot¹ at nine o'clock in Canberra this morning. Now if she wins, Julia Gillard will become Australia's 27th Prime Minister and its first female leader.

Kevin Rudd called a media conference late last night, after a lengthy² meeting with Ms Gillard and party elder statesman, John Faulkner. But moves against the Prime Minister began weeks ago when several senior Labor³ figures began losing confidence in his leadership.

“If I am returned as the leader of the party and the Government and as Prime Minister, then I will be very clear about one thing, this party and Government will not be lurching to the right on the question of asylum-seekers as some have counselled us to do.

Also, on the question of climate change, we'll be moving to a timetable on emissions⁴ trading which is of the government's decision, contrary to the views of some.

I was elected by the people of Australia to do a job. I was not elected by the factional leaders of Australia, of the Australian Labor Party to do a job. Though they may be seeking to do a job on me. That's a separate matter. The challenge therefore is to honour the mandate⁵ given to me by the Australian people.”

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

5 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。