Julia Gillard, prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, spoke at Elon University's Spring Convocation about her experience as the nation’s first female leader.
She emigrated from Wales as a young child and moved to Australia. As the daughter of two parents who did not finish high school, Gillard’s parents instilled in her a deep appreciation of education. This value she inherited from her parents set the groundwork for watershed education policies she promoted during her time in politics.
“My first step into anything that looked like politics was motivated by my belief in education for all,” Gillard said. Gillard has advocated for well-funded and operated education systems since the time she was a university student.
After speaking about the domestic achievements that occurred during her tenure in Australian politics, Gillard discussed the role Asia has as an emerging region.
“As prime minister, I specifically rejected the foreign policy view that was fashionable in some circles, that our relationships with the U.S. and with China were a zero-sum game,” Gillard said.
Better relationships with one of the nations did not come “at the expense of the other,” Gillard told the Elon community.
Former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard speaks at Elon University.
Gillard championed the notion of improving both economic and governmental ties among Asian countries, Australia and the U.S., citing that these values are paramount and linked. She cited President Obama’s stance on the growth of Asia as she said, “Prosperity without freedom is just another form of poverty.”
Gillard concluded by emphasizing the threat that China poses as it independently develops its own infrastructure, North Korea building nuclear weapons under a young, unstable leader and the potential Australia and the rest of the world have to help Asia grow in the next century.
“The best answers end up being found because people of good will and reason come together, undaunted and determined to solve the problem," Gillard said.