Kevin Rudd switches from red to blue after being presented with a Patrician Brothers College tie in Fairfield, Sydney, today, where he gave a speech outlining his thoughts on leadership. Source: News Limited
Kevin Rudd meets one of the locals on a visit to Five Dock Public School in Fairfield, where he was campaigning in the marginal seat of Reid with local member John Murphy. Source: News Limited
Kevin Rudd chats to children at Five Dock Public School, where one pupil hiliariously mistook him for the Prime Minister. Source: News Limited
Pupils at the Patrician Brothers College in Fairfield take the opportunity to be photographed with the former PM, who spoke passionately about female achievements during his reign without mentioning current PM Julia Gillard by name. Source: News Limited
Kevin Rudd laid out his principles of leadership today, while admitting he had made mistakes as prime minister.
In what is being seen by Labor insiders as an aggressive campaign to reclaim the prime ministership, Mr Rudd told high school children in Sydney's west that he should have praised his colleagues more when he was their leader.
"One of the things I have been slow to learn is the importance of simply, privately and publicly, acknowledging the good work of others," he said.
"Blokes are usually pretty bad at this by the way, guys."
He also said his government should have more clearly explained to Australians why certain policies were necessary to solve emerging problems.
Source: News Limited
He said he had learnt it was important to "bring people of the community and your political colleagues with you".
"In the hurly burly of public life ... frankly sometimes you can leave that behind," Mr Rudd said.
He also said there had been a "mistake of communication" over his decision to defer the introduction of an emissions trading scheme because many people thought it had been abandoned.
He told more than 500 students gathered at Fairfield"s Patrician Brothers' College that leaders should always "to thine own self be true".
Source: News Limited
Mr Rudd was presented with a blue and white college tie, with which he promptly replaced his red one, and later continued to wear it as he campaigned in the marginal seat of McMahon, alongside local member Chris Bowen.
Mr Rudd told the students that if politicians failed to be "upfront" and explain clearly any policy changes it "does corrupt the trust people have in the political process".
He did not mention Prime Minister Julia Gillard's name during the 45-minute session but spoke passionately about female achievements during his prime ministership.
He pointed out that he had led the nation with Australia's first female deputy prime minister who went on to become Australia's first female prime minister.
His principles of leadership included to "never die wondering" and to "constantly give back" to the community.
Source: News Limited
He also pointed out that many great leaders overcame adversity and triumphed over setbacks.
"It's never an easy or even road," he said.
Earlier in the day, children at Five Dock Public School, in Sydney's inner west were treated to a visit from Mr Rudd, who would have been forgiven a wry smile when one boy who shouted "that's the prime minister!" as he strode through the grounds.
The former prime minister spoke Mandarin to two young native speakers and explained to pupils how building their school hall had created a lot of new jobs.
"A few years ago there weren't many jobs around," Mr Rudd said. "So all those guys who came to work on the hall, they had a job."
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