Julia Gillard, who became Australia's first female prime minister on Thursday 24 June 2010, replaced a man, Kevin Rudd, who only a few months before had been arguably one of the most popular Australian prime ministers ever. Gillard was elected unopposed to the position of leader of the Australian Labor Party after Rudd had the porevious evening (23 June 2010) called a partyroom meeting in response to a request from Gillard.
The New Australian Prime Minister
Following her swearing in in the hours after her election by the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, Julia Gillard became Australia's 27th prime minister since the Federation of Australia was established. Gillard's place as deputy prime minister was taken by Wayne Swan, the Australian Federal Treasurer.
Julia Gillard's election as Prime Minister marked a remarkably rapid change of heart by the Australian Labor Party whose fortunes had been turned around by Kevin Rudd following nearly 12 years in the politcal wilderness during the premiership of the Liberal Party's John Howard.
Labor Party Politics
The election of Julia Gillard to the post of leader of the Labor Party (and hence the post of prime minister) represented the second time in 20 years that the Australian Labor Party has removed a leader whilst he was prime minister. The first was Bob Hawke whose term of office was ended by the party in 1991. Kevin Rudd, however, is the first serving prime minister to have been removed by the party before fighting a general election.
In the case of Julia Gillard, key power elements in the Australian Labor Party had become convinced that, unless Kevin Rudd was replaced, Labor would lose the next general election which was due to be held later in 2010. Although Gillard comes from the left of the Labor Party, the right-wing faction was sufficiently concerned about the party's electoral prospects for it to give her its support. The key factor that ensured Gillard's victory was the decision by the powerful Labor Party groups, the Australian Workers Union and the Health Services Union to support her rather than Kevin Rudd.
Immediately following Julia Gillard's appointment to the post, there was speculation that a general election would be held within weeks to capitalise on the honeymoon period that almost all newly elected leaders are given by the electorate. In a television interview on the day of her election, Gillard confirmed that a general election would be held in 2010.
Julia Gillard, Australia's First Woman Prime Minister's Background
Born in Wales in 1961, Julia Gillard's parent emigrated to Australia in 1966 and settled in Adelaide in South Australia. She attended the city's Unley High School and then the Universities of Adelaide and Melbourne where she became active in national student politics. Elected to the Australian federal parliament at the 1998 general election, she carried a number of opposition portfolios ( Population and Immigration, Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs, and Health) before becoming Deputy Leader to Kevin Rudd when he became Prime Minister in 2007 following the Labor Party's overwhelming victory over John Howard. In addition to being deputy prime minister, she also held the post of Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Alistair McCulloch - Alistair McCulloch has been listening to good music since his early teenage years in the 1960s. It is his genuine belief that music ...
Join the Conversation