CANBERRA, Australia, June 28 (UPI) -- Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard did not name her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, to her cabinet but said he might serve if their party wins the next election.
Gillard made minimal changes to the cabinet that served under Rudd, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.
While she did not offer Rudd a place in the new cabinet, she held out the possibility he might join the government -- if their Labor party wins the next general election.
"What I have said to Kevin Rudd is I would be absolutely delighted to see him serve as a senior Cabinet minister in the team if the Government is re-elected," she said of the man she ousted in a party leadership battle last week.
"It is best to have as limited a reshuffle as possible to keep the maximum stability amongst the team," she said of her cabinet choices. "The premium I've put is on stability."
Rudd said he respected Gillard's decision.
"Ultimately, decisions on Cabinet appointments are a matter for the Prime Minister," he said in a statement after the new cabinet was announced. "For the immediate future, my family and I have decided to take a break."
