Julia Gillard has given her first television interview since being toppled from the Labor leadership earlier this year.
The former Prime Minister has been notoriously quiet since her political career came to an end; publishing a few dignified and polite tweets and a forward-looking policy focused opinion piece in The Guardian.
Today Julia Gillard is in New York City attending an event hosted by the Clinton Global Initiative. She spoke with two student interviewers about her passion for education, her book deal and what she’s going to do next.
Take a look (if you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, we’ve broken down where the key bits are, below):
On how education can change people’s lives – 42 seconds.
Recounting the policy highlights of her tenure as Prime Minister – 1.28
Reflecting on being a female leader of a country and women in politics generally – 2.20
On why we need to make it ‘more normal’ for women to be senior in public life – 3.00
Explaining the importance of women taking a lead in the business world – 3.48
Why we need to make policy for the long term and not just feed the media cycle – 4.45
What’s next for Julia Gillard? A professorship, international travel and a book deal – 5.50
Top Comments
What a woman; strong, smart, forward thinking, hard working, great communicator, everything you would want in a PM. I wish her all the best and I look forward to reading her book.
I have to dissent from the party line, I'm afraid she was one of the most hopeless PMs we've had, largely through spectacularly bad political judgement although bad luck and constant undermining by one Kevin Rudd didn't help. But I have to acknowledge the dignity she has displayed since being ousted - she left quietly, didn't bag her successor and has kept quiet ever since. A class act.