News
New Prime Minister for Australia
Australia has a new Prime Minister in Welsh born Julia Gillard
Australia has a new Prime Minister in Welsh born Julia Gillard, aged 48 and from a working class background, who herself experienced emigration as a young child.
Previously Deputy Prime Minister to the unpopular Kevin Rudd, she took control after his resignation last week following general dissent in the Australian Labor party. There was a backlash growing in the party caused by his unpopular tax policies to such an extent that his party colleagues felt it left them unable to win the general election due later this year. Ms Gillard first became an MP in 1998. In 2003 she became Shadow Health Minister, before becoming deputy to Rudd in 2007.
Ms Gillard came to Australia in the 1960's as one of the '£10 Poms', which saw over a million Brits make the move. In her childhood, Ms Gillard suffered with pneumonia and her parents were advised to seek out a location with a better climate, which is what they did.
It is too early yet to know what Ms Gillard's views are on Australia's migration policy in the longer term and whether her succession to the post of Prime Minister will change anything, or see a relaxation in the rules.
29 June 2010