Senator Crossin was forced out of politics earlier this year in controversial circumstances. Ms Gillard made an executive decision to parachute indigenous former Olympic athlete Nova Peris into Senator Crossin's Northern Territory senate seat. Senator Doug Cameron has attacked the Prime Minister over her treatment of outgoing senator Trish Crossin. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen At the time, Ms Gillard described the decision as her ''captain's pick'', but in Senator Crossin's valedictory speech on Tuesday, she described the Prime Minister's behaviour as ''grossly unfair'', ''undemocratic'' and ''not the Labor way''. Shortly after Senator Crossin's speech the two vocal supporters of Mr Rudd used the opportunity to fire further salvos at Ms Gillard. ''While I wish Trish's successor every success . . . I still maintain, Trish, that you were treated unjustly," said Senator Carr, who resigned from the Labor ministry in March after the failed attempt in March to install Mr Rudd as Prime Minister.

Senator Cameron went further in his attacks, telling the Senate: ''I am appalled at the way my party has treated [Crossin] and I hope that we never see the likes of that again.'' Julia Gillard: under attack. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen ''If someone has made a contribution, like the contribution you have made, Trish . . . then they should be treated with common decency and dignity,'' Senator Cameron said. ''You were not, and it is a shame that the Labor Party was involved in that.'' But senior Labor minister Greg Combet disagreed with his colleagues, telling Fairfax Media on Wednesday morning that politics was a rough business and that the Labor Party needed renewal.

''It's a tough game in case you hadn't noticed,'' Mr Combet said. ''And sometimes people feel the hard edge of it. ''I feel sorry for Trish Crossin that that's occurred to her, but it is also important for the Labor Party that we keep bringing new people in and people of talent coming into the parliament.'' Labor MP Sharon Grierson praised Ms Gillard's leadership her valedictory speech on Wednesday. Ms Grierson, the member for Newcastle, said it was a ''Julia Gillard miracle'' that the Labor government had survived in the hung Parliament. ''Thank you Prime Minister for your unswerving leadership and your determination to steer us through this hung Parliament - a task no other member of this caucus could have achieved,'' she said.

Ms Grierson, who will retire at the September election, also thanked Ms Gillard for the courage and dignity she had shown in the face of ''relentless attacks and misogynistic abuse''. Families Minister Jenny Macklin also continued her strong backing of Ms Gillard on Wednesday. ''Julia Gillard has my utmost support. I think she's doing an outstanding job as Prime Minister,'' Ms Macklin told reporters in Canberra. Senators Cameron and Carr are among a group of Labor Party members who are lobbying their colleagues to replace Ms Gillard with Mr Rudd. Other members of the Rudd camp include NSW MPs Ed Husic and Joel Fitzgibbon, and former cabinet ministers Martin Ferguson, and Chris Bowen, who also all resigned in March.

One Labor MP told Fairfax Media the leadership crisis would be "brought to a head one way or other" in this final sitting fortnight. It is understood the supporters of Mr Rudd are hoping to bring on a challenge as late as possible next week to give themselves as much time as possible to ensure they have the numbers to replace the Prime Minister. Follow the National Times on Twitter