Bring a bucket! Julia's talking about KRudd...

JULIA GILLARD: Kevin Rudd is a man of enormous capabilities and obviously he is a man with public policy passions in many areas, of course, he spent a lifetime in foreign affairs. What first got him really active and interested politics was with this fascination with China and our place in the world and he went on as a member of parliament and then prime minister to exhibit other passions.

I mean he wrote an amazing page in this nation's history when he delivered the apology to the stolen generations, so Kevin, enormous capabilities. He's going to be a senior member of the team if we are re-elected and obviously there are a wide variety of roles that he could serve in, I'll talk to him about that if we are re-elected.

But I think what Kevin's saying, what I'm saying is our focus is on that all important choice on election day. For the day after, I'd want to see Kevin serving as a senior member of the team if we're re-elected in an area where he's got enthusiasm and passion.

and

LYNDAL CURTIS: He says he doesn't want to stand idly by at the prospect of Tony Abbott sliding into government by default, what does that say about Labor's chances at this election?

JULIA GILLARD: Well I think once again, Kevin would be seeing the election campaign and he would be saying to the Australian people what I've been saying which is that this is a tough close contest, a photo finish.

The outcome is in the balance and consequently Kevin, even though he is still recovering from surgery is enthusiastic for campaigning for the re-election of the Government because he knows the things that he cares deeply about turn on this election outcome.

The common beliefs that he and I share are about keeping the economy strong and the importance of work. The common beliefs he and I share about education, getting every kid a chance, of course, he's a kid from a state school who went on to great things.

His life was transformed by education. He's got that passion to see every Australian child get a great education and of course, he's a man with a great deal of fluency and competency in our nation's role in the world and a man with real passion for closing the gap for Indigenous Australian's.

All of these things are part of the election campaign and part of why Kevin is enthusiastic for campaigning for the re-election of the Government.

More here if you can stomach it!