ELECTION SHOULD BE ABOUT POLICIES NOT PERSONALITIES

The Julia Gillard, Labor Government has passed 485 bills since the end of 2010, including big-ticket reforms such as the (controversial) price on carbon (last year) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Disability Care). The Gillard years have featured low interest rates, low unemployment and an economy that continues to rate impressively against other developed countries, indeed Australia has a global AAA credit rating and survived in spectacular manner through the Global Financial crisis.They are currently in the process of instigating the Gonski eduction reform. Read more

Julia Gillard has put issues such as misogyny into public debate by calling forth Tony Abbot's obvious misogynous attitude to women in her now famous speech in parliament in October last year. Her speech obviously resonated with many women world-wide for it has had over 2 million views on youTube.  For transcript click here

 

That month Gillard's father died and she had to contend with the abhorrent comment made by Alan Jones that her father 'died of shame'. And although many people in our community were outraged and many advertisers removed their sponsorship, Jones remains a 2gb broadcaster.

In October last year Tony Abbot spoke in front of a 'Ditch the Witch' sign and in parliament question time suggested that Gillard should make an honest woman of herself.

 

Early in March 2012 academic Germaine Greer called attention to the physical features of Julia Gillard when she stated that the jackets she wore made her look like 'an organ grinder's monkey' and that she had a 'big arse'. I was so thoroughly ashamed of Greer's comment, as an academic purported to support feminism, I can't see for the life of me what Gillard's physical looks or the shape of her body have to do with her competence as a Prime Minister?! Obviously men are not the only misogynists.

More recently Julia Gillard had her body described (on a Liberal Party fundraising menu) as 'small breasts, huge thighs and a big red box', but if that wasn't enough last week she was accused of being disrespectful to the nation by showing her cleavage in parliament!

Last Thursday she was asked by Howard Sattler on a Perth radio station whether her partner Tim Mathieson was gay and calling into question our Prime Ministers own sexuality, which has nothing whatsoever to do with her competence or ability to lead the nation, which she has been doing admirably. To add insult to injury, the media had to focus in upon one small thing in her 1,300 word speech at a launch of the Women for Gillard gathering in which she spoke of the achievements for women by the Labor Party and how it gave a voice to women, attempted to create equal opportunity, decreased taxes, etc. however, instead of picking up on what the Government had done or was attempting to achieve  the media had to run with the story from twenty of her words, which were 'Finally but very importantly, we don’t want to live in an Australia where abortion again becomes the political plaything of men who think they know better. Click here for transcript.

 

I am personally extremely proud of Julia Gillard not only for what she has had to contend with during her time as Prime Minister, but because she continues to fight for what is right and good for Australia. Enough Australia! Please, can we focus upon issues rather than on an individual's appearance - the upcoming election MUST be about policies NOT personalities.