IN a typically graceful address last Wednesday, Julia Gillard looked back on the “absolute privilege” it had been to serve as Lalor’s voice in Canberra for 15 years.
Ms Gillard will be home in the coming weeks to say goodbye to the community that returned her at the last election with 65 per cent of the primary vote, a 4 per cent increase.
After Kevin Rudd regained party leadership in a caucus vote, an emotional Ms Gillard told how her government had made Australia stronger, smarter and fairer.
The 51-year-old listed her proudest reforms, which, as she often said throughout her three years steering the country, had been designed with the needs of Melbourne’s west in mind.
Ms Gillard maintained the socially driven policies of Labor struck the right chord in places like Wyndham, home to generational disadvantage and young families in housing estates.
“Look at this part of the world – it’s a growth corridor where people come to make a life for themselves and their families, so government services really matter to them.”
She said education funding reforms that passed Parliament on her final day as prime minister were the “defining passion” of her life.
DisabilityCare, which launched on Monday, was “something that it took this Labor government to get done and I’m very proud of that”.
Ms Gillard urged voters to give Labor another term in office, saying many major policies were ‘‘works in progress’’ and at risk of being cut back if the Coalition took government.
Wyndham mayor Heather Marcus described Ms Gillard as a hard-working local member who was warm, funny and compassionate.
“I think we can be very proud of what we received while Julia was member for Lalor.’’
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