Kevin Rudd has finally confirmed he will take on Julia Gillard at a party room leadership vote on Monday as he tries to make a comeback as prime minister.
Mr Rudd said the Labor party was "heading for the rocks at the next election".
"That's why I'm here today because I believe that to do the best for Australia and Labor things have to change," he said in Brisbane today.
"It is no secret that our government has a lot of work to do if it is to regain the confidence of the Australian people.
"Rightly or wrongly Julia has lost the trust of the Australian people and starting on Monday I want to start restoring that trust.
"That's why I have decided to contest the leadership of the Australian Labor Party."
Mr Rudd emphasised the achievements of his government between 2007 and 2010.
"I want to finish the job the Australian people elected me to do when I was elected by them to become prime minister," he said.
"I believe that with the right Labor team we can meet the challenges of another global crisis and see off the threat of an Abbott government."
Mr Rudd said he had been elected to govern for all Australians and that's what he did.
He spoke about how his government protected jobs through the global financial crisis, increased pensions, increased the childcare rebate, introduced paid maternity leave and abolished Work Choices.
Of his achievements, Mr Rudd said he was proud of "each and every one of them".
He spoke of investing in health and education, building the national broadband network, apologising to indigenous Australians, closing the gap and gaining membership of the G20.
"Australia for the first time in its history has a place at the world's top decision-making table on the global economy," Mr Rudd said.
The former prime minister said he was proud of a good record of achievement even though he hadn't got everything right.
"I want to finish the work that we started and to build on these achievements."
Mr Rudd said if Labor does not change it will end up in opposition.
"We'll all end up on the backbench, not just one, and the opposition backbench at that," he said.
"That's the cold, hard stark reality that we face.
"It's time for a reality check for everybody.
"This hasn't just happened in the last week, the last month - it's been going on for the last year."
Mr Rudd launched a scathing attack on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, saying he was "not an ideas man".
He was a "man who has proved he has neither the temperament, nor the vision, nor the experience to hold the high office of prime minister of Australia".
"He is a man with both feet firmly planted in the past," Mr Rudd said.
He said Mr Abbott viewed the national broadband network as a way of sending emails and downloading movies quicker and had said climate change is "crap".
"I have never met a more negative man than Mr Abbott."
