Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has resigned from politics and will end his political career this week.
After 15 years in politics, Mr Rudd has been faced with political highs and lows.
In his speech in parliament yesterday, an emotional and choked up Mr Rudd said he will not continue in parliament by the end of the week.
“My family have given their all for me in public life,” said Mr Rudd, “and for the nation, and it’s now time I gave something back to them.”
The former PM said the apology to the indigenous Australians as the political highlights of his career.
In parliament, the Prime Minister Tony Abbott congratulated Mr Rudd for this “triumph” for overtaking the then PM John Howard in the 2007 election and Mr Abbott said “we must pay tribute to someone of such stature”.
Yesterday, tributes came from both sides of politics for the former PM.
This marks the end of the Rudd-Gillard era, which also marks the end of a tumultuous time for the Australian Labor Party.
