Australia's new Prime Minister strikes a blow for women – and Wales

from an article by Kathy Marks in Sydney
The Independent, Friday, 25 June 2010

Yesterday, Ms Gillard was sworn in – appropriately enough by the nation's first female Governor-General, Quentin Bryce.  Only months ago, Labor was riding high in the polls and Mr Rudd was Australia's most popular leader for three decades.

However, his government's ratings slumped and amid growing discontent about his aloof, authoritarian style. Party powerbrokers decided Labor was in danger of losing an election. Ms Gillard, who had been his deputy, was persuaded to challenge Mr Rudd, who stepped aside. She promised to call an election "within months" and also signalled a new approach on the shelving of a carbon trading scheme, and plans to introduce a new tax on "super profits".

A former university activist and industrial lawyer, Ms Gillard had to fight long and hard to be a Labor candidate. Her childless, unmarried status has attracted much comment, along with her hairstyle, her fashion sense and her lack of interest in cooking. Forthright, personable and formidably bright, she is considered Labor's star performer.

Born in Barry, Ms Gillard was four when her family emigrated to Australia under the "Ten Pound Pom" assisted passage scheme. They settled in Adelaide, where she attended school and then university, gaining a law degree. After qualifying, she joined a leading law firm, Slater & Gordon and became the firm's youngest partner at 29. She entered parliament in 1998 and was elected deputy leader in 2006.

On becoming Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Gillard remarked: "If anybody had suggested to my parents when we migrated to this country that something like this was possible, they would have taken their temperature and said they needed to go to bed."