I was absolutely shocked to find out that former prime minister Julia Gillard has been named the new chair of the mental health organisation Beyond Blue, replacing former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett.

Mr Kennett was seen as a strong, harsh premier, but in his position at Beond Blue he came out as someone I ended up having respect for.

Julia Gillard on the other hand is a person who took out Kevin Rudd as prime minister. She showed no sympathy in that context. Julia Gillard is really just a nice facade and as for someone who undertakes activity like she did, I do not believe she is suitable in taking on this position at Beyond Blue.

She did not send a good message out to others, and cannot in a mental health role.

It seems some groups will simply take on any person with a celebrity name attached to them, as has occurred here and the organisation here will pay the price for that - as will the public.

Julia Gillard introduced legislation as PM to
help fund the National
Disability Insurance Scheme. She has served on the Board
of Beyond Blue for three years. Serving on the Board of the
Depression and Anxiety Initiative since 2014. She has a
"lifetime passion" for mental issues formed growing up with her
father who worked as a psychiatric nurse. She tells us that -

"Through my father and his window on the world I got to know
something about mental health and mental health care facilities.
That was in the days when mental health wasn't talked
about when people who were treated were in hospitals
behind high walls and
people didn't want to talk about it and didn't want to think
about it. Now we are prepared to talk about our own mental
health, we are prepared to talk about anxiety and depression and
suicide in our community. We are prepared to face up to the
fact that people that need assistance don't get the help they
require when they most need it."

Jeff Kennett explained that:

"The Board were looking for a person who had a natural
attachment and interest in matters to do with mental health.
Who had a very clear position of strength in trying to argue
and advocate against discrimination in all its shapes and forms.
We wanted a person who we knew was clearly articulate... We also
wanted someone who could open doors, be they political or
commercial."

Mr Kennett said that the former PM was the second only PM to
join a community organisation after leaving office. Malcolm
Fraser did it to Care Australia and now Julia Gillard is using
her past experiences to give something back to the community.

The former PM will take up the role on July 1st 2017.

The great strength of Beyond Blue over the last 17 years is
as Mr Kennett pointed out - the fact that it's been
bipartisan. It belongs to no-one or no political party. It
exists only to serve a broader community.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-21/julia-gillard-to-replace-jeff-kennett-as-beyond-blue-chair/8372512

cont'd ...

For Beyond Blue to have a former Prime Minister as its
leader will ensure that the organisation can continue
to open doors politically, commercially and with the
community.

Dear Foxy,

Hear hear.

Well said.

The ego of politicians.

Gillard was and will ever be seen as a disloyal, divisive figure who put her own ambition first.

Was the vacant position ever advertised? What selection process?

Politicians take care of politicians. It is inconceivable that there wasn't someone more suitable from business or other leadership in the community.

The former Prime Minister was elected unanimously by the
Board of Beyond Blue.

Jeff Kennett explained that:

"Gillard was the ideal person to lead the organisation
and her unanimous election by the Board reinforced its
bipartisan commitment to improving the welfare of
people with mental health conditions."

"In her we have found a person who is personally
committed to the cause and has the ability to cut through
the clutter and drive change for the well being of all
Australians."

"Julia Gillard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience
to her role as Chair given the commitment she made to
driving mental health reform during her time as Prime
Minister."

"There is no doubt that the former Prime Minister will be
a champion for people living with mental illness and her
appointment as Chair will ensure that the mental health
of all Australians continues to be a national priority"

Jeff Kennett stated that he shall miss working with
the organisation:

"I'll miss it, but I'll miss it less knowing that in
Julia's hands the organisation will go from strength to
strength."

"Gillard was and will ever be seen as a disloyal, divisive figure who put her own ambition first."

So leo do you say the same about turnbull?
He did exactly the same thing to the rabbott.

It,s incredible how these people can not see past their own side of politics. When the going gets tough to their own they go quiet. That SM bloke has not been heard of since the WA election grubbing.
Julia Gillard is.a very respected person around the world, and an excellent progression into leadership of mental health.
Ambition drives these people and sometimes could have been done better, that is not a lifetime curse.
I will not even mention Turnbull and abbot. I don,t want any slanging going on here.
I congratulate Julia for wanting to share in the advancement of mental health in her new role.

I have absolutely no time for Ms GILLARD as a Prime Minister. Similarly, there were many people who lived in Victoria when Mr KENNETT was Premier, who couldn't tolerate him either. Yet he proved to be a very resourceful leader for 'Beyond Blue' despite his politics.

I reckon Ms GILLARD should be given every chance in which to prove herself, she may well be as equally effective as Mr KENNETT, you never know, after all it's very much a non-political role and remuneration is only just a modest honorarium from what I understand.

Julia Gillard made comments on ABC radio in 2016 (I believe) which I later saw on my facebook page. I felt the comments were cheap, in the context that she had taken a view that younger women in particular would face increased levels of negative comments and activity towards themselves, coming from others.

I felt this was a double standard, and I posted that on facebook. I felt that politicians should essentially "clean up their own backyard" and send a positive message to the public, that bad behaviour towards others is not acceptable, and this is particularly shown during question time in parliament. I had a number of people like my comment.

Julia Gillard hardly had a good record in the context of nicety, and then you take throwing out a Prime Minister into play and both elements do not come out well. If Julia Gillard wants to improve Australia in any way, (which she could), I would first suggest she contact Bill Shorten and get him to sign a pledge that bad and poor parliamentary activity will be thrown in the bin.

Dear Nathan,

Perhaps the following link may help explain the
"niceties" of parliamentary behaviour and what
our former PM had to put up with during her term
in office. Because as the link explains never in
our country's history has a national leader faced
so many demands and attacks on multiple fronts.

From day one after the 2010 election Julia Gillard
had the blowtorch applied. Her position as PM
has been described as "tainted" because supposedly
she "stabbed Rudd in the back." This suggests she
came to power illegitimately. It ignores the fact
that there was widespread dissatisfaction over Rudd's
leadership within the Labor Party as polls began to
slide. She spoke to him face to face about her intention
to challenge after being approached by several concerned
members of caucus. He resigned and Gillard was elected
unopposed by the parliamentary caucus.

There was nothing illegitimate about the process. She
became leader because she gained support of the Labor
Party caucus.

But there's more at the following link:

http://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/a-fair-go-for-prime-minister-julia-gillard,5196

Gillard should be well aquainted with the causes of depression.

She caused heaps of depression when PM.

Worst government ever

Jeff Kennett - the founder of Beyond Blue closed
Victoria's mental health institutions in the 1990s.
The land was sold to developers.

if Julia is able to prevent one suicide she will be doing well. Unfortunately with the indoctrination of secular dogmas in schools over the last 40 years or so no matter how much money is thrown at the problem the rates increase. Someone will have enough brains one day to see the problem of mental health is also a spiritual problem. I wish Julia well and hope she can make a difference. We make a huge mistake to think that simply drugs and counselling will improve things.

Beyond Blue is a scam so a scammer like Gillard ia the perfect
scammer to run it.
Jeff Kennett was a scammer also and a sociopath who needed a continuing
audience.

Gillard's last official act was to implement the Child Abuse Royal Commission.

With Turnbull and his cronies in power and the resulting rise in poverty, homelessness and youth suicides I suspect Gillard will have her hands full.

What Gillard did to Rudd, Turnbull also did to Abbott - but much sooner.

G'Day there CHRISGAFF1000...

That's a pretty decent 'serve' there ol' man? Emerging from some inside knowledge or something else altogether? Wouldn't be you personally Chris, because you're a Vet, and you're fully entitled to everything DVA has to offer. Perhaps someone close?

Whatever it is, I hope all's well with you Chris? I know you hit a bit of a rough patch (financially) awhile ago, seeing all the usual slugs, sloths and bludgers, all feeding heartily from the public purse. That aside, you're OK at the moment I hope? Stay in touch anyway, at least we know you're OK.

Gillard certainly had her faults, but "knifing" Rudd wasn't one of them.

Rudd was a poll-driven, egomaniac who ran a chaotic government with whom he never even bothered to communicate.

He needed to go, Gillard was the next in line, so what would otherwise appear to be a blessing and a unique opportunity ended up being a blight on her one shot at the top job.

No, I'm sure we could think of a reason as to why Gillard is not the best person for this job, but it's not because of what she did to Rudd.

Some of you blokes have a gut full of sour grapes. You need to move on.