Simon Crean announces his resignation as leader of the Australian Labor Party, the main opposition party in Australia. Crean has led the party since November 2001, but has consistently trailed Prime Minister John Howard in opinion polls. Crean becomes the first Labor leader to resign without having fought an election. His successor will be elected at a meeting of the Labor Caucus on . The candidates will probably be former leader Kim Beazley and finance spokesman Mark Latham. Foreign Affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd may also stand.
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