Lexi,

What a porkie, my quotes are very deliberately spread over a variety of papers and those from the australian are in the minority. For someone that quotes almost exclusively from the fringe blog "new matilda", this is a little rich. This offering of yours is from someone who is so rusted on labor that she writes almost exclusively Polemics against Abbott and his party.

I am certainly biased, but, you personally are one of the most biased and one eyed posters I have ever seen.

Pelican,

Given affirmative action that put her in the position of power as the deputy leader, and the fanfare and hoopla that surrounded Juliar's ascension as the future first female PM, It is difficult to swallow that her gender had no part in it.

I agree "being a PM in the 21st Century, it is not about gender but about how well you do your job." It certainly should be.

Foyle,

Juliar did not just promise that there would be no carbon tax she gave an iron clad guarantee. Her immediate breaking of this made her statement a lie.

Sorry
Menshed is exactly what it says a men's shed...where men go for company and get away from their women

Hi there LEXI...

I agree with you totally, nobody could ever accuse Ms Gillard of not being tough ! She has 'toughness' in spades - without question. However, is being tough (gender aside) a necessary ingredient for a competent, successful Prime Minister ?

I've heard many of her critics, describe her as being neither tough, nor strong. Rather they would choose to resort to language such as despotic, dictatorial in style, monocratic ( I'd would've thought that might be more of a style similar to that of Mr Rudd?), even tyrannical with those she doesn't trust ?

So Ms LEXI, I've always admired both your intelligence and your ability to express that intelligence within the limitations of this medium. Therefore my question of you 'with respect', do you really believe Ms Gillard is a competent and able Prime Minister ? Do you also believe she enjoys the total respect, and support from those in her cabinet and caucus ?

Personally, I'll admit unreservedly, she's TOUGH ! But that's all ? Moreover, I believe she'll probably be remembered, not for being Australia's first female Prime Minister. But rather (sadly) the worst Prime Minister in the history of this country !

I'm so sorry LEXI, I don't mean to be offensive toward you, or POIROT, or to any other Labor supporter on this Forum, including my good mate BELLY. However, it's my humble opinion Ms Gillard, in company with Mr Swan and several ors., have played a pivotal roll, within Parliamentary Labor, who've been entirely culpable for nearly bringing this once great country literally to it's knees. By the repeated infusion of unacceptable practices, including evidence of blatant mendacity. Why, I don't know ? But having 'power', is a much more useful instrument in life, than mere money alone!

If women wanted to they could organise their own political party and have 50% of the seats in parliament and maybe then some, the fact that they don't says something about women and their attitudes toward the job of MP or Senator ie, like most men they don't see it as rewarding or worthwhile work.
The fact is that equal opportunity in state and private sector corporations has only raised the status of women who are megalomaniacs, shysters and psychopaths, in other words it's facilitated the rise to power of women who play a complimentary role to the male megalomaniacs, shysters and psychopaths who occupy the corporate boards and "smoke filled rooms" of politics.
Are women honestly proud of Hillary Clinton or Rebecca Brooks?

I think it is rather sad what is likely to happen to the Labour party
at the election. Democracy requires a well established and indeed
respected opposition able to express the views of people who may not be
their natural supporters.

I think they will recover but it may take a couple or three parliaments
to do the job. The Greens just don't fit the bill as they are driven
by unrealistic ideals.

Dear o sung wu,

Historically Julia Gillard's Prime Ministership will be
seen as an unusually active and reforming period in
Australian public policy. Her legislative achievments
will be acknowledged.

I see Julia Gillard's toughness and coolness under intense
pressure as an asset that all Australians of all stripes
should appreciate. It is preciesly what we need in a leader.
A person who's not prone to panic.
The trouble is Australians are not used to such toughness in
a woman and there are plenty who feel uncomfortable with it.

Of course being a tough female Prime Minsiter makes Julia
Gillard a unique target - but what has been shown is that
no matter what's been thrown at her, she stands firm. Many
find this unpalatable, especially as it contradicts their
stereotyped notion of how women should behave.
However the judgement of history as I've stated previously
will be different.

We've heard ad nauseum that "she lied." There is a gulf of
difference between a broken promise in the context of altered
circumstances and a deliberate decision to mislead. As such
to accuse the PM of lying, and to argue that the carbon
pricing scheme is based on a deliberate pre-meditated lie
in itself displays some towering crap. That it has persisted
for so long and spawned the meme "Juliar" (a term used only
by the ignorant and spiteful) says more about Abbott's guile
and ability to manipulate the facts for his own destructive
ends than it does about the PM's trustworthiness.

I don't have anything against Mr Abbott personally. I simply
don't want him as a Prime Minister. To me he represents -
regressive ideas, imparted by divisive scare tactics,
he dog-whistles to extreme right-wing nutjobs and he seeks to
be PM by destruction, in the absence of any policy, reform
agenda or vision. He's a genuine hollowman, reducing
complex issues to inane slogans and negative rhetoric, lowering
the national debate. To me he does not have the character,
maturity, nor integrity to maintain his current position let alone
be allowed to ascend further.