PM Julia Gillard: 'Moving Australia Forward'

6 July 2010 —

The Honourable Julia Gillard MP delivered her first major policy speech as Prime Minister 6 July at Sydney's Lowy Institute.

On asylum seekers and population, the speech is entitled Moving Australia Forward:

Thank you very much to the Lowy Institute for hosting me today.

The Lowy Institute has established a reputation for independent, robust and forceful analysis of Australia’s place in the world. It is exactly the right place to make today’s address: Moving Australia Forward (read more (PDF) (69 Kb), listen). 

Public response was quick, with the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) (PDF), OXFAM (PDF),  the Edmund Rice Centre (PDF), the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) (PDF), Caritas Australia (PDF), Greens Party leader Bob Brown (PDF), the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) (PDF), the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) (PDF), Gillard herself (PDF) and, of course, Opposition Leader Tony Abbot (PDF) weighing in.