Fed: I won't choose my own portfolio, says Gillard

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2006
Fed: I won't choose my own portfolio, says Gillard

CANBERRA, Dec 5 AAP - New deputy Labor leader Julia Gillard says she will forgo her
right to select her own portfolio on the front bench.

Instead, she and leader Kevin Rudd will work together to choose the right team, she says.

"As deputy leader I do have the entitlement to pick a portfolio, but I'm not going
to exercise that entitlement," Ms Gillard told the Nine Network.

"Instead I'm going to work with Kevin to shape the front bench team.

"The issue here isn't what's the particular job I get, or indeed anybody else gets,
the issue is how do we best have a front bench team to carry us through to the 2007 election."

Ms Gillard, who with Mr Rudd overthrew the leadership team of Kim Beazley and Jenny
Macklin yesterday, joined her leader in saying former rock star and environmental campaigner
Peter Garrett was sure to get a front bench job.

"I couldn't agree with Kevin more that Peter Garrett needs to be part of that front
bench team," she said.

"He's a great new addition to the Labor caucus and it's now time for him to step forward
and carry the arguments we know he can carry so well for Labor."

Ms Gillard swept aside questions relating to her promise earlier this year to support
Mr Beazley up to next year's election.

"Circumstances change. That was in March this year when there were some issues in the
Labor Party, and the words I spoke then I still mean," she said.

"It is about more than leadership. It's about Labor at every level making sure that
it's out campaigning in the community for change, and out there arguing with a Labor message
for what we would do differently in this country."

She deflected suggestions she might not always support Mr Rudd and defer to her own ambitions.

"We are probably eight to 10 months out from an election. It is, in political terms,
around the corner," Ms Gillard said.

"We will be focused on that election. Circumstances won't change."

AAP dep/maur

KEYWORD: LABOR GILLARD (REISSUING)

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