Keynote speaker

The Hon. Julia Gillard MP

The Hon. Julia Gillard MP, Deputy Prime Minister, in her capacity as Minister of Education, will be a keynote speaker at the 2009 Monash University Transition Retention and Progression Forum, to be held at the Caulfield Campus on 9 th and 10 th December 2009.

Julia Gillard was born in Wales, migrating to Australia with her family in 1966. She studied arts and law at University in Adelaide. She was National President of Australian Union of Students (AUS) in 1983.

Ms Gillard’s career began as a solicitor with Slater and Gordon, and in 1990 she became a partner with the firm. In May 1996, she was appointed the chief of staff of the Victorian Opposition leader at the time, John Brumby, where she worked until her election to Federal Parliament in 1998.

Since entering Parliament, Ms Gillard served in a number of shadow ministerial portfolios including Population and Immigration, Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs, Health, Employment and Industrial Relations, and Social Inclusion. She was elected as the Manager of Opposition Business for three years prior to being elected as Labor's Deputy Leader in December 2006.

Following the Federal Election on 24 November 2007, Ms Gillard became Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Minister for Social Inclusion.