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Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister, Could Lose His Own Seat At Election

Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister, Could Lose His Own Seat At Election
The Huffington Post UK
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Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, left, speaks as the leader of the opposition Tony Abbott listens at the beginning of their debate in Brisbane, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013. Rudd, who leads the center-left Labor Party government, argues that the tax hike on big business would raise only 40 percent of the required funds. He challenged Abbott in Sept. 7 elections to reveal where a conservative government would make spending cuts to pay for the plan. (AP Photo/Lukas Coch, Pool)
AP

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd faces the embarrassing prospect of losing his own parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election.

A poll conducted in the Labor leader's Brisbane seat of Griffth for Guardian Australia revealed Rudd was trailing his Liberal rival Bill Glasson by 52% to 48%.

Rudd, who replaced Julia Gillard as Labor leader and prime minister in a dramatic internal-party coup in June, won his seat with 58.5% in 2010.

Rudd faced opposition leader Tony Abbott in the second election debate on Wednesday. At one point during the exchanges, Abbott asked Rudd whether he ever "shut up".

A poll published in The Australian newspaper on Monday showed Abbott's coalition Opposition leading Rudd;s Labor Party by 54% to 46%. The election takes place on 7 September.

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