Middle East Correspondent
Julia Gillard tells Ray Martin she had no choice but to give Kevin Rudd the consolation prize of foreign minister.Source: Channel 9
JULIA Gillard has opened raw wounds in the Labor Party by declaring that she compounded the mistake of appointing Kevin Rudd as foreign minister by replacing him in the role with former NSW premier Bob Carr.
These are among a number of crucial errors she professes to have made as prime minister after toppling Mr Rudd in 2010.
She has told veteran interviewer Ray Martin that she had no choice but to give Mr Rudd the consolation prize of foreign minister when Labor’s 2010 re-election campaign was destabilised by internal leaks, blamed on the former prime minister or his supporters.
“She felt she had no choice, but it was a huge mistake,’’ Martin told The Australian, previewing what he describes as the most candid interview he has conducted with a former prime minister. “For a moment it stopped the leaks, she said … but then they came back in the second term.’’
The interview, to be aired tomorrow night by the Nine Network, has the potential to revive the bitterness that consumed the ALP in government under Ms Gillard until she finally lost the leadership to Mr Rudd on his second challenge in June last year.
Ms Gillard insists she would have “out-campaigned” Tony Abbott had she lasted as prime minister, but she does not claim that Labor would have won last year’s September 7 election.
Mr Rudd quit as foreign minister when he launched his first, unsuccessful bid to reclaim the top job in February 2012 and was succeeded by Mr Carr, who had been approached by Ms Gillard to come out of political retirement and enter the Senate through a casual vacancy.
But, in one of the major surprises in the Martin interview, Ms Gillard accuses Mr Carr of being work-shy. “She certainly makes it clear that he didn’t like hard work,’’ Martin said. “He said to her at one stage that: ‘I didn’t realise I was so settled in my retirement.’ When he came back, she found he just wasn’t up for the pace of the job … she thinks it was a mistake dragging him out of retirement.’’
Ms Gillard cites as another error her attempt to put Labor’s floundering 2010 campaign back on track by declaring that she would place the “real Julia’’ front and centre. This happened five days before she met Mr Rudd to reach the grudging accommodation that led to him becoming foreign minister.
“She puts her hand up to a lot of mistakes,’’ Martin says.
Until now, Ms Gillard has refused to give her account of the night she went after Mr Rudd’s job on June 23, 2010. However, he broke his silence to The Australian’seditor-at-large, Paul Kelly, for his well-received book on the saga of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd governments, Triumph and Demise, published last month.
In an extract from the Martin interview transcript, released by Nine to News Corp Australia Sunday newspapers, Ms Gillard admits to wrongly giving Mr Rudd the impression he could have survived as PM in 2010, something she still had a “sense of self-recrimination over’’.
“The reputation I have from that night is one of political brutality,’’ she admits. “Actually, in the moment, I was hesitant. A conversation went on for too long … I certainly fed (Mr Rudd) hope. I shouldn’t have done that.’’
Mr Rudd was approached for comment last night, but was not available. Mr Carr could not be contacted. He resigned from the Senate in October last year, despite winning his spot at the election won by the Coalition under Mr Abbott.
Martin said Ms Gillard also offers warm insight into her relationship with her partner, Tim Mathieson.
“Tim kept not just her feet on the ground, but gave her that sense of normal when she would come home and have a bath or a glass of wine … he was more than her rock … he was a comfort zone in the midst of being beaten up by Abbott and Rudd and the Canberra press gallery,’’ Martin said.
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I agree with JG, the appointment of Carr as foreign minister was a big mistake. But what the hell, Rudd and Carr were both disasters by any measure. Mr Carr especially irked me with his anti Israeli policies and in rolling JG on this question. But does this really deserve reporting in a serious newspaper. Mr Martin and Ms Gillard are no longer relevant to national debate. With a bit of luck the Abbott Government will generate enough respect and competence to rescue the nation from the abyss presented by Labor and the Greens. Surely after Ms Milne's apologies for Islamic terrorists the nation can see that the Greens are anathema to democratic rule in Australia.
Can we just forget her?
Someone who cries misogyny/wolf disrespect the office, the people and woman in general. Just go home to Tim and all will be .......
And here I was thinking she would fade into the sunset and live of her parliamentary pension, but more importantly not inflict herself on us.........wrong again clearly she is of the belief that she was better than we all know.
So what did Gillard say when Martin asked her :
What did you do to benefit Australian taxpayers?
What happened to the budget surpluses?
Why did you take Industrial Relations back to WW2?
Why did you stack "Fair Work" with pseudo-legal union hacks?
Why did you promote your former associate (who also left G&G under a cloud) to the high court?
Didn't channel 9 monitor how many viewers switched channels the moment Julia appeared on screen while in government, why would they think this would be any different. Nothing could make me sit through an interview with Julia.
I wont be watching and therefore encouraging the likes of channel 9 and ray Martin to pay Gillard to launch her book. If i was interested in fantasy i would watch the sci-fi channel. Rather read about it all on the Australian tomorrow. Much better for the blood pressure.
She did such a great job out-campaigning Tony Abbott in the 2010 election, Labor lost their majority with the Liberal Party actually winning more seats. While she was PM there were Labor wipeouts in Queensland and NSW and all the polls pointed to Federal Labor sharing the same fate. She is completely delusional if she thinks she could have saved the furniture and it was obvious to the majority of her colleagues that the damage had been done and no amount of Gillard campaigning would have made any difference. In fact most public opinion showed that Australians were completely sick of seeing and hearing her and had she been PM through the election this would have made matters worse. After 6 years of Labor shambles is very refreshing to have a government not totally absorbed in themselves and getting on with governing.
When did she realise she had made a mistake about Carr, and what did she do about it? In fact with all these things she now thinks was a mistake, what did she ever do to correct one? Can we have a list of mistakes, and their costs , drawn up, and published. Make a good last chapter for her book?
If Julia thinks being asked by a member of the Canberra press gallery " what can we do to help " is getting beaten up, she's still young and naive.
I'm no fan of the ALP but I thought Bob Carr was one of the few relatively successful ministers in the recent and unlamented government, and far more realistic and "diplomatic" than Kevin Rudd who delighted in meddling where it was not warranted, lecturing others about their perceived shortcomings and having periodic tantrums when he didn't get his own way. Rudd may have worked hard in comparison to Carr, I wouldn't know, but it was to very little effect; in any case, Julia Gillard is not someone I would readily believe without strong corroborative evidence.
@Leslie KRudd has perfected the "Lookee-me-I'm-so-busy" look and he does run around doing heaps. It is just that his 'heaps' don't end up amounting to much at all. Nail one foot to the floor and around and around and around it goes with sparks flying.....kinda like a rotor button! lol :o)
@Leslie Could you tell me how many days Carr actually took his seat in the Senate? Not many, if any. Julia is a pet hate but Bob was not voted into office and when he finally achieved that after many jaunts around the world he quit! He was lazy. Gillard was right.
@charles Ministers of state often absent themselves from the legislature due to engagements and other official commitments, especially the Foreign Minister who, of necessity, spends a great deal of time overseas, struggling with the rigours of business class travel and less favoured five star hotels.
Carr wasn't voted into office as a senator but that is the way the constitution works, he filled a casual vacancy so there is very little to be said about that as an issue. Many people seem to believe that K Rudd had a stellar career as a diplomat before entering parliament:he didn't. His performance as PM and Foreign Minister was always compromised by his character flaws which were many and major; he wasn't lazy, quite the opposite but his manic drive mostly alienated people at all levels and defeated his purposes which were many.
When she was asked about ther present occupation , did she say pensioner!! Oh No, she rattled off three positions, just imagine how much money this poor afflicted woman is getting, why isn't her pension reduced like mine if I earn too much.
Gillard beaten up. The comment itself is offensive to anyone with common sense. She is still driving the divisive gender card to the end and she like the jihadists should not be given a natioal platform to spread their misleading and untrue commentary.
one of the things that really irritated me was that julia gillard assigned to herself the role of spokesperson for all women. she never really did anything but use women, the disabled, promising the world but delivering nothing, and forever using our kids .. the photo ops were nauseating.
@Barbara @Christopher I must admit that her misogany speech even more than the incompetence was the most worrying thing for me. I have 2 great daughters and the damage that speech did to this country by way of spliting society has done more long term harm than any of her blunders. She did not do the youth of this country any favour
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Well she admits she was wrong,thats a first.J.L made that many mistakes in her short stay at the top perhaps she should now keep a low profile and enjoy her tax payer funded perks.
it was a bit of a claytons admission - gillard still thinks she should be in the PMs office - if Carr hadnt been a dud ... if wayne had a clue about anything, if Kev wasnt a so-and-so, that everyone should hate tony abbott as much as she does .... if the stupid voters had only voted her in .... then everything would be as it Should be - according to julia gillard.
Quote "beaten up by Abbott and Rudd and the Canberra press gallery". OMG - never has a PM had a more cushioned ride from the Canberra press gallery; never has a PM been less taken to task for failings; never has a PM been so praised for doing so little.
Julia Gillard's memory seems to be working just fine when it comes to justifying her existence and spinning her "legacy" - pity her memory isn't so good when it comes down to who paid for the renovations of her home or certain missing documents involving the creation of a fraudulent entity the purpose of which was corrupt.
julia's going to the US next month to talk about herself. oh god!
i wish someone could set the record straight over there about the damage she and her predecessor/successor, kevin rudd, did to our country - and how reviled they were - and how it seems the majority havent forgiven or forgotten them.
@Barbara @Right! said Fred I question whether the US is big enough to accommodate the two worst ever PMs to ever be inflicted on Australia. Might I suggest a coup of biblical proportions for a live interview on the David Letterman show during their stay. The clash of egos would be stupendous viewing, add Bob Carr and it would be a full house.
@Barbara @Right! said Fred I trust the Americans will love the voice. Hope they realise we don't all speak like that.
@Pat There should be a footnote that states that gillard speaks 'strain' and not the normal Australian 'strine'! lol :o)
Gillard compounded the mistake by being Gillard!
But where were the wise men and women MP's that allowed it to happen? And it seems the interview will once more impact on our memories of division, rancour and dysfunction that hallmarks the Labor party.
History will record this incompetent person as the worst PM that our great Nation has ever had or will have...
Which particular "real Julia" Gillard are you referring to?
I assume the lot!
I don't think any came anywhere near Angela Merkel for leadership quality.
Agree with the last sentence completely.
No fan Of Gillard, certainly no fan of Rudd but no fan of the current PM either -- Knighthoods... seriously is he having a joke on the nation??? Fiscal Conservative???? well the Paid Parental scheme says it all... Kevin Andrews, Pyne, Brandis and Hockey have performed poorly.
So I understand the sentiment about Rudd and Gillard, but the current mob are very ordinary. Also don't forget where the structural deficit started which created the budget "emergency" .. Howard
Please step up, the next generation of leaders on both sides of politics. We are surely at the bottom of the talent curve at present.
@Ian I am yet to hear you complain of Leigh Sales of the ABC getting her full PPL. But the girl who does her makeup is not entitled to it. I thought the left values are, everyone is equal?
@arlys @Ian One. I vote centre-right ... that is Liberal Two: I try and take the blinkers off to look at issues dispassionately: Three: what individual companies, entities organize for their staff is their choice... we don't need a government funded 22 billion dollar program over the forward estimates funded by a levy on companies... sorry but it does not appeal to my economic philosophy.. nor I suspect to many investment banking economists ( are they leftists as well? )
@Ian if 'knighthoods' is front and centre being the worst you can come up with for Abbott we're in good shape.
Now here is the challenge, Ian: come up with one achievement from the 6 year dysfunctional tenure by Labor that did good for our great Nation without getting us into debt, was fully funded, did not require borrowings, did not do harm to some, did not create farce or draw criticism, did not end up in sleaze, and was not overprice... Bet you can't come up with so much as ONE thing!
My wife has the correct angle on the PPL she asks why is it that Tanya and the rest of the Labor staff, and all the public servants get a full PPL whilst she has to get by on a basic wage for a shorter time; she goes on to say that its unfair making her feel inferior to the taxpayer (that includes her as well) funded public servants... I digress, back to the challenge Ian.
@DES @Jim-Cherna Oh Des, well put Jim??? not sure what happened to my response to Jim but here I will try again
Did you read my post? Did I say I was a fan of Gillard, Rudd? No... it is not that hard.
The comment was about the poor state of politics that has sunk to a low ebb and the current government/leader are very ordinary indeed.
So Des tell me, here is another challenge? In a fiscal emergency is it fiscally prudent to bring in a PPL?? Have a chat to a few economists , I think you will find you are out of ammo
See I can vote Liberal and be highly critical at the same time
@Ian Er Ian, the knighthoods and Dames as the top level of the Order of Australia was a Gough Whitlamism. Good Labor policy. I am surprised that someone who describes himself as Liberal 2 or Centre Right (which I think is stretching the truth somewhat) supports Labor's 2 class system. Public servants and ABC get an exceedingly generous PPL, funded by those who actually work for a living but have no such entitlement.
@Ian Ian I hope you realise that it was the Labor loving, femisistic, republican GG with the help of JG that snuck out and got GG her Damehood. Maybe Abbott just thought that if anyone deserves a Knighthood/Dame it should be someone that has represent our country at the highest level, in the toughest times and always to the highest standard
@Christopher Hi Christopher. Ian also conveniently forgets that we are not yet a Republic and Queen Elizabeth is still our Head of State and not to forget our British heritage, which most of us are proud of, which the left finds cringe worthy!