Gillard Government
Encyclopedia
The Gillard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia, which is led by the Prime Minister of Australia
Julia Gillard
. Julia Gillard
became Prime Minister on the 24th of June 2010 after challenging her predecessor, Kevin Rudd
for the position of leader of the parliamentary Labor Party, thus bringing to a close the former Rudd Labor Government
. In so doing, Gillard became the first female prime minister of Australia and selected the First Gillard Ministry, shortly thereafter calling an election for August 2010.
Prime Minister Gillard led the Labor Party to the 2010 election against the Opposition Liberal-National Coalition led by Tony Abbott
. The election resulted in a hung parliament
. Following negotiations with six crossbench MPs
, Gillard was able to obtain support from three independents in relation confidence and supply
and signed a formal agreement with the Australian Greens
. Governor-General Quentin Bryce
swore in the Second Gillard Ministry
on 14 September 2010, allowing Gillard and Labor to remain in power with a 76-74 minority government.
called a press conference announcing that a leadership ballot of the Australian Labor Party
would occur on the morning of 24 June 2010, with the candidates being himself and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard
. This followed weeks of speculation that senior members of the ALP were beginning to lose confidence in Rudd and would back Gillard in replacing him if necessary. By the eve of the election, it was obvious that Rudd didn't have enough support to remain ALP leader and Prime Minister. Rudd withdrew his candidacy and resigned as party leader, leaving Gillard to take the leadership unopposed. Gillard was then sworn in as Australia's first female Prime Minister on 24 June 2010, with Treasurer Wayne Swan
being appointed Deputy Prime Minister.
In her first press conference as Prime Minister, Gillard said a good government had lost its way and she had a responsibility to step up and make sure it got back on track.
In the aftermath of the leadership challenge, Bill Shorten
, former trade union leader, and key Parliamentary member of the ALP Right Faction, nominated the government's handling of the insulation program
; the sudden announcement of change of policy on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
; and the way in which they had "introduced the debate" about the Resource Super Profits Tax
as the key considerations which had led to a shift in support from Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard as leader of the party.
, Gillard announced the next federal election for 21 August 2010. Gillard began campaigning with a speech utilising the slogan "moving forward". In the early stages of the campaign, a series of leaks were released by purported Labor Party sources, indicating apparent divisions within Cabinet over the replacement of Kevin Rudd by Gillard. Mid-way through the campaign, Gillard offered journalists a self-assessment of her campaign by saying that she had been paying too much attention to advisers in her strategy team, and she wanted to run a less "stage-managed" campaign, saying: "I think it's time for me to make sure that the real Julia is well and truly on display, so I'm going to step up and take personal charge of what we do in the campaign from this point":
Gillard met Opposition leader Tony Abbott
for one official debate during the campaign. Studio audience surveys by Channel 9
and the Seven Network
suggested a win to Gillard. Unable to agree on further debates, the leaders went on to appear separately on stage for questioning at community forums in Sydney and Brisbane. An audience exit poll of the Rooty Hill RSL audience indicated an Abbott victory. Gillard won the audience poll at the Broncos Leagues Club meeting in Brisbane on 18 August. Gillard also appeared on the ABC's Q&A program on 9 August. On 7 August, Gillard was questioned by former Labor leader turned Channel Nine
reporter Mark Latham
.
Gillard officially "launched" Labor's campaign in Brisbane five days before polling day, outlining Labor policies and utilising the slogan: "Yes we will move forward together".
Labor and the Coalition each won 72 seatsThe National Party of Western Australia
is not a part of the Liberal/National Coalition. Therefore, its figures, including MP Tony Crook
, are counted separately from the Coalition totals. See Australian federal election, 2010 for more details. in the 150-seat House of Representatives
, four short of the requirement for majority government
, resulting in the first hung parliament
since the 1940 election
. Both major party leaders sought to form a minority government
.
Six crossbench MPs
held the balance of power
. Four crossbench MPs, Greens Adam Bandt
and independents Andrew Wilkie
, Rob Oakeshott
and Tony Windsor
declared their support for Labor on confidence and supply
, allowing Gillard and Labor to remain in power with a 76-74 minority government. Governor-General Bryce swore in the Second Gillard Ministry
on 14 September 2010.
channel, not politically associated with the Australian Labor Party
’s channel.
In a further effort to expand the Prime Minister’s public relations, the government has also launched and frequently updated accounts with a multitude of social networking websites, such as Facebook
, Myspace
, and Twitter
. An official Flickr
profile is also maintained.
, the $429 million scheme was scrapped, in order to divert money to help rebuild Queensland.
Coalition
government and the Rudd
Labor
opposition promised to implement an emissions trading scheme (ETS) before the 2007 federal election. Labor won the election, with the new government proceeding to implement an ETS. The government introduced the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
, which the Liberals
supported with Malcolm Turnbull
as leader. Tony Abbott
questioned an ETS, saying the best way to reduce emissions is with a "simple tax". Shortly before the carbon vote, Abbott defeated Turnbull in a leadership challenge, and from there on the Liberals opposed the ETS. This left the government unable to secure passage of the bill and it was subsequently withdrawn.
Gillard defeated Rudd in a leadership challenge and from there on said no carbon tax would be introduced under a government she led when taking the government to the 2010 election. In the first hung parliament
result in 70 years, the government required the support of crossbenchers including the Greens
. One requirement for Green support was a carbon tax, which Gillard proceeded with in forming a minority government. A fixed-price carbon tax would proceed to a floating-price ETS within a few years under the plans. The government proposed the Clean Energy Bill
in February 2011, which the opposition claimed to be a broken election promise. The Liberal Party vowed to overturn the bill if it is elected.
The legislation was approved by the Lower House
in October 2011 and by the Upper House
in November 2011.
is ongoing. In November 2010, the first major implementation of the construction was when senators, voted 30 to 28, to separate the retail and commercial arms of former state monopoly Telstra
, to increase competition as its infrastructure is incorporated in the new network. In February 2011, the NBN rollout came closer with a commercial agreement, which paved the way for the NBN Co to use Telstra's assets and for Telstra
to phase out its copper network.
The network has been tested in several locations in Tasmania
and in May 2011, the network was launched on the mainland in Armidale, New South Wales
, the first of five sites on the mainland. Initial take up of the service has been tiny
. The incumbent government continues to run the "Get Ready for Digital TV" campaign, which encourages Australians to buy either a Set-top box
or a digital television
. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
introduced the Mineral Resource Rent Tax. Gillard revised the tax and it was negotiated between the miners, which would collected $7.4 billion over two years instead of Rudd's original mining tax, which would have collected $12 billion.
, Gillard proposed a temporary levy that would raise $1.8 billion and take effect from 1 July 2011. The levy would help pay for the reconstruction of roads, rail and bridges in areas damaged by the recent floods. With a minority government
, she needed four of the six lower house crossbenchers and all of the crossbench senators, with lower house members, Tony Crook
, Bob Katter
, Andrew Wilkie
and Adam Bandt
, supporting the levy. In the Senate, all the cross benchers (Green senators, Steve Fielding
and Nick Xenophon
) supported the flood levy and passed. In a February Newspoll
, it showed that 55 per cent supported the new flood levy.
while she was Education minister
. The revamped version was later launched in March 2011.
, where all states and territories, except Western Australia
, under Liberal control, agreed to give up control of a third of their GST
. In November 2010, the new Liberal
Government in Victoria
joined Western Australia in rejecting the deal and Gillard said the old reforms would not work. Gillard revamped the health reform package, by providing the states with $16.4 billion from July 2014 to 2020. It scrapped a major element of the previous package which would reduce 60 per cent of the states recurrent health costs to 50 per cent and removed the former Rudd Government plans to fund 60 per cent of new hospital
capital costs. The deal was agreed on by all state premiers and chief ministers in February 2011.
laws, introduced by Health Minister Nicola Roxon
, which would ban the use of company logos, and require all cigarette packets to be a dark green colour, has been introduced into parliament. The Coalition
will support the legislation, but plans to vote against the associated changes to trademark laws.
in June 2010 and came into effect under Gillard on 1 January 2011, which paid $570 a week. According to figures released by Families Minister Jenny Macklin
, 15,450 (as of 30 January 2011) have applied. There were claims when GIllard was the Deputy Prime Minister
, she questioned and opposed the scheme, which she denied.
and named East Timor as a preferred location for new detention and processing facilities. The East Timorese Government rejected the plan.
In October 2010, her government announced that it would open two detention centres for 2000 immigrants, due to the pressures in allowing women and children to be released into the community. One to be opened in Inverbrackie, South Australia
and one in Northam, Western Australia
. She said it would be a short-term solution to the problem and that temporary detention centres will be closed.
On 15 December 2010 a ship containing 89 asylum seekers crashed on the shore of Christmas Island, killing up to fifty people. Refugee and migrant advocates condemned government policy as responsible for the tragedy, and ALP Party President Anna Bligh called for a complete review of ALP asylum seeker policy. Gillard returned early from holidays in response to the crash, and to review asylum seeker policy. There were accusations by David Marr and Tony Kevin of conspiracy surrounding the incident, suggesting that the Gillard government ignored the boat, and conducted no actions to stop it crashing so the Gillard Government could implement the Malaysia Solution. Some months later Gillard would announce "The Malaysia Solution" in response.
In April 2011 the Federal Government confirmed that a detention centre for single men will be built at the old army barracks at Pontville, 45 minutes north of Hobart
. This immigration detention centre will house up to 400 refugees. Also in April 2011 immigration detainees at the Villawood detention centre rioted in protest of their treatment, setting fire to several buildings.
In May 2011 Gillard announced that Australia and Malaysia were finalising an arrangement to exchange asylum seekers. Gillard and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen
said they were close to signing a bilateral agreement which would result in 800 asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat being taken to Malaysia instead. Australia will take 4,000 people from Malaysia who have previously been assessed as being refugees.
On 31 August the High Court ruled that the agreement to transfer refugees from Australia to Malaysia was invalid, and ordered that it not proceed. Australia will still accept 4,000 people who have been assessed as refugees in Malaysia.
In an extraordinary attack on the judiciary, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has turned on the High Court, questioning the consistency of Chief Justice Robert French as she grapples with the political humiliation of its rejection of her asylum-seeker Malaysia Solution. she accused the court of missing an opportunity to "send a message" to asylum-seekers, sparking opposition charges she has breached the doctrine of the separation of powers. The High Court's decision questions whether the Gillard Government's policy on asylum seekers is lawful, and whether onshore processing should be the option, phasing out controversial offshore processing.
In response to the High Court's decision, Gillard announced that her government would be making changes to the Migration Act, giving them the power to send asylum seekers to any third-world country, including Malaysia. The plan has been strongly condemned by refugee advocates, including the Greens. Tony Abbott
said that the changes that will get around the High Courts decision are doomed in the Senate, even if they get through the lower house. On 13 October, the changes failed to get through the lower house, with WA politician Tony Crook, who's vote was vital to get it through, voted against it. Gillard, along with Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen
announced that they will resort to onshore processing, and will allow asylum seekers serving community detention while waiting for a visa the right to work.
, with her predecessor becoming Foreign Minister.
that Australia would continue to support the Afghanistan war. Although as death tolls amounted, she said that "Australia remains committed to the war in Afghanistan".
Prime Minister Gillard attended the APEC Japan 2010
summit in, where she held her first face-to-face meeting with US President Barack Obama
. Obama thanked the Prime Minister for Australia's continuing assistance and contribution to the Afghanistan War
. While Gillard sent her condolences to the American people and the President for the American casualties in Afghanistan
Gillard made her first visit to Washington
as Prime Minister on 5 March 2011. She held meetings with President Barack Obama
, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
. She also met with Michelle Obama
and John McCain
. Gillard, addressed a joint session of the United States Congress
, the fourth Australian leader to do and first foreign dignitary to address the 112th congress.
In April 2011, she embarked on a North Asia trip, promoting closer military, economic and trade ties. Her visit to Japan was the first by a foreign dignitary after the devastating earthquake and tsunami. South Korea and China were also part of her trip.
Gillard was the first foreign leader to address the New Zealand Parliament.
of the United States.
Prime Minister Gillard made an official visit to Afghanistan, in October 2010. There she met members of the Australian Defence Force
in Tarin Kowt
, and had discussions with President Hamid Karzai
. This visit was part of her first international trip as Prime Minister.
10 points, 55 to 45. During the start of the election, polls pointed to a Labor
victory. But during the middle of the election, several blunders, including her climate change policy, internal party leaks, contributed towards dives in her popularity.
saw her government's and approval ratings increase after a tour of the United States
and pictures taken in the White House
playing football with Barack Obama
. Since March 2011 according to Newspoll
more people are dissatisfied with Gillard's performance, by September her net dissatisfaction has spread to 45 points.
Her status to be the preferred leader since becoming Prime Minister, dropped from a leading high on 18 February 2011 of a 50 to 31 to 40 to 35 in November.
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
. Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
became Prime Minister on the 24th of June 2010 after challenging her predecessor, Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
for the position of leader of the parliamentary Labor Party, thus bringing to a close the former Rudd Labor Government
Rudd Government
The Rudd Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia of the Australian Labor Party from 2007 to 2010, led by Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister. The Rudd Government commenced on 3 December 2007, when Rudd was sworn in along with his ministry...
. In so doing, Gillard became the first female prime minister of Australia and selected the First Gillard Ministry, shortly thereafter calling an election for August 2010.
Prime Minister Gillard led the Labor Party to the 2010 election against the Opposition Liberal-National Coalition led by Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
. The election resulted in a hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
. Following negotiations with six crossbench MPs
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Gillard was able to obtain support from three independents in relation confidence and supply
Confidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
and signed a formal agreement with the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
. Governor-General Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
swore in the Second Gillard Ministry
Second Gillard Ministry
The Second Gillard Ministry is the 67th Australian ministry. It is led by Julia Gillard of the Australian Labor Party. On 11 September 2010 she announced the makeup of her ministry, following the 2010 Federal election...
on 14 September 2010, allowing Gillard and Labor to remain in power with a 76-74 minority government.
First Gillard Government
On 23 June 2010, Kevin RuddKevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
called a press conference announcing that a leadership ballot of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
would occur on the morning of 24 June 2010, with the candidates being himself and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
. This followed weeks of speculation that senior members of the ALP were beginning to lose confidence in Rudd and would back Gillard in replacing him if necessary. By the eve of the election, it was obvious that Rudd didn't have enough support to remain ALP leader and Prime Minister. Rudd withdrew his candidacy and resigned as party leader, leaving Gillard to take the leadership unopposed. Gillard was then sworn in as Australia's first female Prime Minister on 24 June 2010, with Treasurer Wayne Swan
Wayne Swan
Wayne Maxwell Swan is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996, and then re elected in 1998 till today , representing the Division of Lilley, QLD...
being appointed Deputy Prime Minister.
In her first press conference as Prime Minister, Gillard said a good government had lost its way and she had a responsibility to step up and make sure it got back on track.
In the aftermath of the leadership challenge, Bill Shorten
Bill Shorten
William Richard "Bill" Shorten is an Australian politician, the Member for Maribyrnong in the Australian Parliament, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Superannuation and Financial Services. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disability and Children's Services in the Rudd/Gillard Government...
, former trade union leader, and key Parliamentary member of the ALP Right Faction, nominated the government's handling of the insulation program
Energy Efficient Homes Package
The Energy Efficient Homes Package was an Australian government program implemented by the Rudd Government and was administered by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts...
; the sudden announcement of change of policy on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was a proposed cap-and-trade system of emissions trading for anthropogenic greenhouse gases, due to be introduced in Australia in 2010 by the Rudd government, as part of its climate change policy. It marked a major change in the energy policy of Australia...
; and the way in which they had "introduced the debate" about the Resource Super Profits Tax
Resource Super Profits Tax
The Minerals Resource Rent Tax is a proposed tax on profits generated from the exploitation of non-renewable resources in Australia. It is the replacement for the proposed Resource Super Profit Tax ....
as the key considerations which had led to a shift in support from Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard as leader of the party.
2010 Federal Election
On 17 July 2010, 23 days after becoming prime minister and after receiving the agreement of the Governor-General Quentin BryceQuentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
, Gillard announced the next federal election for 21 August 2010. Gillard began campaigning with a speech utilising the slogan "moving forward". In the early stages of the campaign, a series of leaks were released by purported Labor Party sources, indicating apparent divisions within Cabinet over the replacement of Kevin Rudd by Gillard. Mid-way through the campaign, Gillard offered journalists a self-assessment of her campaign by saying that she had been paying too much attention to advisers in her strategy team, and she wanted to run a less "stage-managed" campaign, saying: "I think it's time for me to make sure that the real Julia is well and truly on display, so I'm going to step up and take personal charge of what we do in the campaign from this point":
Gillard met Opposition leader Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
for one official debate during the campaign. Studio audience surveys by Channel 9
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
suggested a win to Gillard. Unable to agree on further debates, the leaders went on to appear separately on stage for questioning at community forums in Sydney and Brisbane. An audience exit poll of the Rooty Hill RSL audience indicated an Abbott victory. Gillard won the audience poll at the Broncos Leagues Club meeting in Brisbane on 18 August. Gillard also appeared on the ABC's Q&A program on 9 August. On 7 August, Gillard was questioned by former Labor leader turned Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
reporter Mark Latham
Mark Latham
Mark William Latham , an author and former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
.
Gillard officially "launched" Labor's campaign in Brisbane five days before polling day, outlining Labor policies and utilising the slogan: "Yes we will move forward together".
Labor and the Coalition each won 72 seatsThe National Party of Western Australia
National Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
is not a part of the Liberal/National Coalition. Therefore, its figures, including MP Tony Crook
Tony Crook (politician)
Anthony John "Tony" Crook is an Australian politician. He has been the member of the Australian House of Representatives seat of O'Connor for the National Party of Western Australia since the 2010 federal election...
, are counted separately from the Coalition totals. See Australian federal election, 2010 for more details. in the 150-seat House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
, four short of the requirement for majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
, resulting in the first hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
since the 1940 election
Australian federal election, 1940
Federal elections were held in Australia on 21 September 1940. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
. Both major party leaders sought to form a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
.
Six crossbench MPs
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
held the balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
. Four crossbench MPs, Greens Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt
Adam Paul Bandt is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer. Bandt was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne...
and independents Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Damien Wilkie is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Denison...
, Rob Oakeshott
Rob Oakeshott
Robert James Murray "Rob" Oakeshott is an Australian politician. He is the independent Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne in New South Wales, which he won in the 2008 by-election following the resignation of former Nationals leader and Howard minister Mark Vaile...
and Tony Windsor
Tony Windsor
Antony Harold Curties "Tony" Windsor , an Australian politician, is an independent member of the House of Representatives since 2001, representing the Division of New England, New South Wales...
declared their support for Labor on confidence and supply
Confidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
, allowing Gillard and Labor to remain in power with a 76-74 minority government. Governor-General Bryce swore in the Second Gillard Ministry
Second Gillard Ministry
The Second Gillard Ministry is the 67th Australian ministry. It is led by Julia Gillard of the Australian Labor Party. On 11 September 2010 she announced the makeup of her ministry, following the 2010 Federal election...
on 14 September 2010.
Transparency
The Gillard Government has made extensive use of the internet and social media in its bid to spread the message of government activity, and to make more people aware of what the federal government is doing. The official website of the Prime Minister, www.pm.gov.au, frequently update content such as photographs, videos, blog entries, and other information. In 2011 the Office of the Prime Minister launched an official YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel, not politically associated with the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
’s channel.
In a further effort to expand the Prime Minister’s public relations, the government has also launched and frequently updated accounts with a multitude of social networking websites, such as Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. An official Flickr
Flickr
Flickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
profile is also maintained.
Climate change
In her 2010 election campaign, Gillard pledged to build a "national consensus" for a carbon price by creating a "citizens assembly", to examine "the evidence on climate change, the case for action and the possible consequences of introducing a market-based approach to limiting and reducing carbon emissions", over the course of one year. The assembly was to be selected by an independent authority who would select people from the electoral roll using census data. The plan was never implemented. After the 2010 Election, Gillard agreed to form a minority government with the Greens and replaced her "citizens assembly" plan with a climate change panel. The Cleaner Car rebate, also known as the Cash for Clunkers scheme, was also introduced after the general elections. Although after the Queensland floods2010–2011 Queensland floods
A series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was...
, the $429 million scheme was scrapped, in order to divert money to help rebuild Queensland.
Carbon price
Both the incumbent HowardJohn Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
government and the Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
opposition promised to implement an emissions trading scheme (ETS) before the 2007 federal election. Labor won the election, with the new government proceeding to implement an ETS. The government introduced the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was a proposed cap-and-trade system of emissions trading for anthropogenic greenhouse gases, due to be introduced in Australia in 2010 by the Rudd government, as part of its climate change policy. It marked a major change in the energy policy of Australia...
, which the Liberals
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
supported with Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
as leader. Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
questioned an ETS, saying the best way to reduce emissions is with a "simple tax". Shortly before the carbon vote, Abbott defeated Turnbull in a leadership challenge, and from there on the Liberals opposed the ETS. This left the government unable to secure passage of the bill and it was subsequently withdrawn.
Gillard defeated Rudd in a leadership challenge and from there on said no carbon tax would be introduced under a government she led when taking the government to the 2010 election. In the first hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
result in 70 years, the government required the support of crossbenchers including the Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
. One requirement for Green support was a carbon tax, which Gillard proceeded with in forming a minority government. A fixed-price carbon tax would proceed to a floating-price ETS within a few years under the plans. The government proposed the Clean Energy Bill
Clean Energy Bill, 2011
The Clean Energy Bill 2011 is a package of legislation that will establish a proposed Australian emissions trading scheme designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and limit global warming.-History:...
in February 2011, which the opposition claimed to be a broken election promise. The Liberal Party vowed to overturn the bill if it is elected.
The legislation was approved by the Lower House
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
in October 2011 and by the Upper House
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in November 2011.
Tasmanian Forest Deal
A $274 million government package ending the logging of native forests was agreed on with the Tasmanian Government, which has full backing of industry, but criticised by the Greens.National Broadband Network
Continuing Rudd's promise in 2007, the construction of the National Broadband NetworkNational Broadband Network
The National Broadband Network is a national wholesale-only, open-access data network under development in Australia. Up to one gigabit per second connections are sold to retail service providers , who then sell Internet access and other services to consumers...
is ongoing. In November 2010, the first major implementation of the construction was when senators, voted 30 to 28, to separate the retail and commercial arms of former state monopoly Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
, to increase competition as its infrastructure is incorporated in the new network. In February 2011, the NBN rollout came closer with a commercial agreement, which paved the way for the NBN Co to use Telstra's assets and for Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
to phase out its copper network.
The network has been tested in several locations in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and in May 2011, the network was launched on the mainland in Armidale, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, the first of five sites on the mainland. Initial take up of the service has been tiny
Transition to digital television
The Gillard Government is continuing the national transition from analog to digital television, which was launched in 2008 by Minister Stephen ConroyStephen Conroy
Stephen Michael Conroy is an Australian politician and the current Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy in the Gillard Ministry...
. The incumbent government continues to run the "Get Ready for Digital TV" campaign, which encourages Australians to buy either a Set-top box
Set-top box
A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...
or a digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
Economy
Mining Tax
After becoming Prime Minister, Gillard halted advertisement that attacked the big miners for their super profits, which began when RuddKevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
introduced the Mineral Resource Rent Tax. Gillard revised the tax and it was negotiated between the miners, which would collected $7.4 billion over two years instead of Rudd's original mining tax, which would have collected $12 billion.
Flood levy
After the devastating flood that caused widespread damage to Queensland2010–2011 Queensland floods
A series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was...
, Gillard proposed a temporary levy that would raise $1.8 billion and take effect from 1 July 2011. The levy would help pay for the reconstruction of roads, rail and bridges in areas damaged by the recent floods. With a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, she needed four of the six lower house crossbenchers and all of the crossbench senators, with lower house members, Tony Crook
Tony Crook (politician)
Anthony John "Tony" Crook is an Australian politician. He has been the member of the Australian House of Representatives seat of O'Connor for the National Party of Western Australia since the 2010 federal election...
, Bob Katter
Bob Katter
Robert Carl "Bob" Katter is an Australian federal politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993 for the Division of Kennedy, and the leader of Katter's Australian Party...
, Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Damien Wilkie is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Denison...
and Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt
Adam Paul Bandt is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer. Bandt was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne...
, supporting the levy. In the Senate, all the cross benchers (Green senators, Steve Fielding
Steve Fielding
Steven "Steve" Fielding , was a Senator representing the state of Victoria and the federal parliamentary leader of the Family First Party in Australia. Elected to the Senate at the 2004 federal election on two percent of the Victorian vote, he failed to gain re-election at the 2010 federal election...
and Nick Xenophon
Nick Xenophon
Nicholas "Nick" Xenophon is a South Australian barrister, anti-gambling campaigner and politician. He attended Prince Alfred College, and studied law at the University of Adelaide, attaining his Bachelor of Laws in 1981. Xenophon established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co....
) supported the flood levy and passed. In a February Newspoll
Newspoll
Newspoll Market Research is an Australian company providing opinion polling and other market research services. Its chief executive is Martin O'Shannessy.Newspoll's surveys of voter opinion are published in The Australian....
, it showed that 55 per cent supported the new flood levy.
Education
Education has been a priority on Gillard's agenda, with her launching the My School websiteMy School
My School is a website administered by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority which provides access to information about Australian schools...
while she was Education minister
Education minister
An education minister is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters.-Country-related articles and lists:Minister of Education may refer to:...
. The revamped version was later launched in March 2011.
Health
In 2010, a hospital funding scheme was drawn up by the Rudd GovernmentRudd Government
The Rudd Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia of the Australian Labor Party from 2007 to 2010, led by Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister. The Rudd Government commenced on 3 December 2007, when Rudd was sworn in along with his ministry...
, where all states and territories, except Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, under Liberal control, agreed to give up control of a third of their GST
Goods and Services Tax
A goods and services tax or value added tax is a tax on exchanges.By country:*Goods and Services Tax *Goods and Services Tax *Goods and Services Tax *Goods and Services Tax...
. In November 2010, the new Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
Government in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
joined Western Australia in rejecting the deal and Gillard said the old reforms would not work. Gillard revamped the health reform package, by providing the states with $16.4 billion from July 2014 to 2020. It scrapped a major element of the previous package which would reduce 60 per cent of the states recurrent health costs to 50 per cent and removed the former Rudd Government plans to fund 60 per cent of new hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
capital costs. The deal was agreed on by all state premiers and chief ministers in February 2011.
Plain cigarette packaging
Plain cigarette packagingPlain cigarette packaging
Plain cigarette packaging is Australian legislation that requires cigarettes to be sold in plain packages throughout the country from December 2012. Branding and advertising will be replaced by logo-free, drab dark brown packaging with health warnings...
laws, introduced by Health Minister Nicola Roxon
Nicola Roxon
Nicola Louise Roxon is an Australian politician, and is the Minister for Health and Ageing. She has been a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives since 1998, representing the Division of Gellibrand, in the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria.-Early and personal life:She...
, which would ban the use of company logos, and require all cigarette packets to be a dark green colour, has been introduced into parliament. The Coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
will support the legislation, but plans to vote against the associated changes to trademark laws.
Paid Parental Scheme
The scheme was passed under the Rudd GovernmentRudd Government
The Rudd Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia of the Australian Labor Party from 2007 to 2010, led by Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister. The Rudd Government commenced on 3 December 2007, when Rudd was sworn in along with his ministry...
in June 2010 and came into effect under Gillard on 1 January 2011, which paid $570 a week. According to figures released by Families Minister Jenny Macklin
Jenny Macklin
Jennifer Louise Macklin , is an Australian politician. She is Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the Gillard Ministry...
, 15,450 (as of 30 January 2011) have applied. There were claims when GIllard was the Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Australia. The Deputy Prime Ministership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1968, and the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime...
, she questioned and opposed the scheme, which she denied.
Asylum seekers
After winning leadership of the Labor Party, Gillard identified addressing the issue of unauthorised arrivals of asylum seekers as a priority of her government. She announced that negotiations were underway for a return to "offshore processing" of asylum seeker claims. Gillard ruled out a return to processing at NauruNauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
and named East Timor as a preferred location for new detention and processing facilities. The East Timorese Government rejected the plan.
In October 2010, her government announced that it would open two detention centres for 2000 immigrants, due to the pressures in allowing women and children to be released into the community. One to be opened in Inverbrackie, South Australia
Inverbrackie, South Australia
Inverbrackie is a locality in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. It includes the Woodside Barracks , South Australia, although there are also some other residents and businesses in Inverbrackie. It is about 3 km from Woodside.It is on the Nairne to Woodside road...
and one in Northam, Western Australia
Northam, Western Australia
Northam is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
. She said it would be a short-term solution to the problem and that temporary detention centres will be closed.
On 15 December 2010 a ship containing 89 asylum seekers crashed on the shore of Christmas Island, killing up to fifty people. Refugee and migrant advocates condemned government policy as responsible for the tragedy, and ALP Party President Anna Bligh called for a complete review of ALP asylum seeker policy. Gillard returned early from holidays in response to the crash, and to review asylum seeker policy. There were accusations by David Marr and Tony Kevin of conspiracy surrounding the incident, suggesting that the Gillard government ignored the boat, and conducted no actions to stop it crashing so the Gillard Government could implement the Malaysia Solution. Some months later Gillard would announce "The Malaysia Solution" in response.
In April 2011 the Federal Government confirmed that a detention centre for single men will be built at the old army barracks at Pontville, 45 minutes north of Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
. This immigration detention centre will house up to 400 refugees. Also in April 2011 immigration detainees at the Villawood detention centre rioted in protest of their treatment, setting fire to several buildings.
In May 2011 Gillard announced that Australia and Malaysia were finalising an arrangement to exchange asylum seekers. Gillard and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen
Chris Bowen
Christopher Eyles "Chris" Bowen , an Australian federal politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives, initially elected to represent the seat of Prospect in western Sydney for the Australian Labor Party at the 2004 federal election...
said they were close to signing a bilateral agreement which would result in 800 asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat being taken to Malaysia instead. Australia will take 4,000 people from Malaysia who have previously been assessed as being refugees.
On 31 August the High Court ruled that the agreement to transfer refugees from Australia to Malaysia was invalid, and ordered that it not proceed. Australia will still accept 4,000 people who have been assessed as refugees in Malaysia.
In an extraordinary attack on the judiciary, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has turned on the High Court, questioning the consistency of Chief Justice Robert French as she grapples with the political humiliation of its rejection of her asylum-seeker Malaysia Solution. she accused the court of missing an opportunity to "send a message" to asylum-seekers, sparking opposition charges she has breached the doctrine of the separation of powers. The High Court's decision questions whether the Gillard Government's policy on asylum seekers is lawful, and whether onshore processing should be the option, phasing out controversial offshore processing.
In response to the High Court's decision, Gillard announced that her government would be making changes to the Migration Act, giving them the power to send asylum seekers to any third-world country, including Malaysia. The plan has been strongly condemned by refugee advocates, including the Greens. Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
said that the changes that will get around the High Courts decision are doomed in the Senate, even if they get through the lower house. On 13 October, the changes failed to get through the lower house, with WA politician Tony Crook, who's vote was vital to get it through, voted against it. Gillard, along with Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen
Chris Bowen
Christopher Eyles "Chris" Bowen , an Australian federal politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives, initially elected to represent the seat of Prospect in western Sydney for the Australian Labor Party at the 2004 federal election...
announced that they will resort to onshore processing, and will allow asylum seekers serving community detention while waiting for a visa the right to work.
Cabinet
When Gillard was sworn in as Prime Minister in June, most members of the cabinet remained in their places, as they were sworn in during by Rudd. Slight changes occurred to fill her positions which were left vacant when she became Prime Minister. After the general elections, she swore in her second ministrySecond Gillard Ministry
The Second Gillard Ministry is the 67th Australian ministry. It is led by Julia Gillard of the Australian Labor Party. On 11 September 2010 she announced the makeup of her ministry, following the 2010 Federal election...
, with her predecessor becoming Foreign Minister.
Foreign policy
Upon becoming Prime Minister, Gillard reassured the USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that Australia would continue to support the Afghanistan war. Although as death tolls amounted, she said that "Australia remains committed to the war in Afghanistan".
Prime Minister Gillard attended the APEC Japan 2010
APEC Japan 2010
APEC Japan 2010 was a series of meetings of the 21 member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation held around Japan in 2010. It culminated in the 18th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting held in Yokohama, Japan from November 13–14, 2010...
summit in, where she held her first face-to-face meeting with US President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Obama thanked the Prime Minister for Australia's continuing assistance and contribution to the Afghanistan War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. While Gillard sent her condolences to the American people and the President for the American casualties in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
Gillard made her first visit to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as Prime Minister on 5 March 2011. She held meetings with President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
. She also met with Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. Gillard, addressed a joint session of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, the fourth Australian leader to do and first foreign dignitary to address the 112th congress.
In April 2011, she embarked on a North Asia trip, promoting closer military, economic and trade ties. Her visit to Japan was the first by a foreign dignitary after the devastating earthquake and tsunami. South Korea and China were also part of her trip.
Gillard was the first foreign leader to address the New Zealand Parliament.
War in Afghanistan
Since coming to office, Gillard has remained adamant towards her position in the Afghanistan War. The Gillard Government believes that withdrawing troops prematurely from Afghanistan, could re-establish the country as a ‘safe haven’ for terrorists. On 19 October 2010 Prime Minister Gillard addressed Parliament stating her government’s commitment to the war, and said “Australia will stand firm in our commitment to our alliance with the United States, the international community understands this, our friends and allies understand this, and our enemies understand this too”. On her first day as Prime Minister, Gillard reassured her position towards the war to President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
of the United States.
Prime Minister Gillard made an official visit to Afghanistan, in October 2010. There she met members of the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
in Tarin Kowt
Tarin Kowt
Tarinkot or Tarin Kowt is the capital of Orūzgān province in southern Afghanistan in Tarin Kowt District. It is a town of about 10,000 people, with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar...
, and had discussions with President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
. This visit was part of her first international trip as Prime Minister.
2010
In her first month as Prime Minister, Gillard and her party received a popular bounce in the polls, showing Labor leading the CoalitionCoalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
10 points, 55 to 45. During the start of the election, polls pointed to a Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
victory. But during the middle of the election, several blunders, including her climate change policy, internal party leaks, contributed towards dives in her popularity.
2011
Since the announcement of carbon price mechanism, Gillard's approval ratings fell, because of lack of detail on how people will be affected by the carbon tax, the 18 March NewspollNewspoll
Newspoll Market Research is an Australian company providing opinion polling and other market research services. Its chief executive is Martin O'Shannessy.Newspoll's surveys of voter opinion are published in The Australian....
saw her government's and approval ratings increase after a tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and pictures taken in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
playing football with Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Since March 2011 according to Newspoll
Next Australian federal election
A federal election was held on Saturday, 21 August 2010 for members of the 43rd Parliament of Australia. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard won a second term against the opposition centre-right Liberal/National Coalition led by Opposition Leader...
more people are dissatisfied with Gillard's performance, by September her net dissatisfaction has spread to 45 points.
Her status to be the preferred leader since becoming Prime Minister, dropped from a leading high on 18 February 2011 of a 50 to 31 to 40 to 35 in November.