By MAMAMIA TEAM
Julia Gillard appeared this evening on live television for her first Australian interview since leaving the Prime Ministership. In a heartfelt, honest and warm conversation with Anne Summers, Gillard talked about her time in public office and what the future has in store for her.
Gillard is an eloquent speaker. Often humourous and bubbly. Always witty and wise.
Here are 11 of the most cracking quotes from the evening.
1. On how she chose to conduct herself immediately after losing the Prime Ministership:
Gillard thought it best to “give a gift of silence to the Labor party throughout the course of the campaign; to do absolutely nothing”.
2. On the key difference between herself and Kevin Rudd:
“I think the key difference is every day I was deputy prime minister I spent all of my time doing everything I could to have the Labor government prosper.”
3. On seeing sexist and offensive cartoons and statements about herself on social media:
She felt not sadness or hurt but, “more like murderous rage really”.
“For my personal liberty, it’s probably a good thing that I didn’t focus on them… At the end of the day, yes, it happened to me, but it’s not, you know, about me. It’s about all of us, about women and about the kind of society we want to be for all of us.”
4. On playing the so-called ‘gender card’:
“It just amazes me that we can be having this infantile conversation about gender wars, and … you just feel like saying: ‘Well, if it was your daughter and she was putting up with sexist abuse at work, what would you advise her to do?’” Gillard said.
“Because apparently if she complains, she is playing the victim, and playing gender wars, and if she doesn’t complain, then she really is a victim.”
5. On what an average day was like in her job as Prime Minister:
Gillard would go through the papers in the morning, remaking most days to her Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan: “Polls are crap. Papers are crap. Yep, yes they are, Wayne.”
6. On what advice she would give to new Prime Minister Tony Abbott:
“It is a big step from criticising what you think is wrong to working out and implementing what you think is right. On current indications, Prime Minister Abbott is intending to take that step slowly. And for all of us, I think that might well be a good thing.”
7. On whether she would like to see Hillary Clinton run for the American Presidency in 2016:
“Wouldn’t it be fantastic to follow the first African American president, with the first woman president?”
8. On what advice she would give Tony Abbott now that’s he’s brought the women’s portfolio within his own Government department.
“Ask Tanya [Plibersek].”
9. On how she managed to stay motivated in the face of “horrible sexism”:
Gillard first responded to the question, asked by an 11-year-old girl, cautioning: “I now need to answer [the question] not using words that are inappropriate… How old are you again?”
She continued, “In moments of some, you know, stress and pressure, for example, when I was getting myself together to go out and give my final speech as Prime Minister, I certainly did say to myself that I wouldn’t give those people the satisfaction of seeing me shed a tear – I wouldn’t do that.”
10. On whether she would encourage women to think about pursuing politics:
If she could go back and advise another woman in her own position – about to be the nation’s first female PM – Gillard said she “…would still say to her: do it. Because the benefits of what you get to do are far superior to the burdens”
11. On what it will be like for Australia’s next female Prime Minister:
“I think even people who may not remember me as a good PM, I think for whoever the next woman is, there will be a bit of a pause, breathe, whatever else this female Prime Minister does, we don’t want it to be like that for her again.”
What did you think were the highlights of the interview between Julia Gillard and Anne Summers? Any stand-out quotes or ideas?
Top Comments
Sorry MM, but we get it already. You like Ms Gillard. But could we move on? It's get rather repetitive and frankly irritating the shite outta me.
I'm a bloke. I like sport, beer, and fart jokes. But I got a little teary-eyed when I saw that wonderful picture of Ms Gillard at the end of that article.
I'm sad that Julia got the treatment she did. I'm sad that Australia wasn't ready for an intelligent, articulate and progressive PM - with vision past the three year election cycle. But most of all I'm sad for the country, and terrified of where it's currently heading.
I fear you try too hard to come across all blokey which suggests you are indeed a woman.
Are you sure you are a bloke. I don't know many blokes that have preface what they say by telling people they like fart jokes, as if this proves one is a real man. Wtf?
a little narrow minded Anon. I am a bloke, don't drink beer at all but like a good fart joke. Do I need to include a picture of my penis to prove that I am not a woman posting in disguise?
Who cares if he isn't a bloke? What kind of 'clutching at straws' retort is that? It's a great point - and 45 people agree with it.