Speaking only moments ago on ABC’s 24 hour news channel, Mr Cassidy was particularly stinging about the way the Labor party has handled itself in the last 24 hours.
“Whoever walks out that door, the winner has a massive challenge ahead of them. It is not a pretty picture whichever way you look at it,” he said.
“As you went into this week, you had anger and frustration. They were helpless. They were at a loss about how to deal with this. There was confusion.”
“That gave way to panic. That’s what occurred here today. Everybody has panicked. Nobody had a clear way through, so you get to this silly situation.”
Mr Cassidy was also strongly critical of the way MP Simon Crean handled himself during his press conference calling for the leadership spill this afternoon.
“Even at his news conference today [Crean said]: ‘I don’t want any more games. ‘I’m sick of it. It is about time he – that is Kevin Rudd – stood up and instead of having his camp leak things… has the courage of his convictions and his beliefs’.”
“This is the guy who says he will support Kevin Rudd and wants to be his deputy. What is the public to make of this? There is no unity here, not even between the intended leader Kevin Rudd and this guy who wants to be his deputy, Simon Crean.”
Simon Crean has already been sacked by Julia Gillard from his front bench portfolios and his career now seems to hang on the outcome of the leadership spill.
With the spill just under half an hour away it is still unclear whether or not Mr Rudd, the former Prime Minister will even contest the spill at all and if he does not whether anyone else will challenge Julia Gillard and her powerbrokers.
There has still been no word from Kevin Rudd or his camp on what his intentions are.
Image: Getty
