Fed: Gillard defends dumping of woman from frontbench

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2006
Fed: Gillard defends dumping of woman from frontbench

PERTH, Dec 7 AAP - Deputy opposition leader Julia Gillard has defended the decision
to dump a woman from the frontbench in favour of a man, despite criticism from female
Labor MPs.

Ms Gillard said Labor needed to put forward its best possible team and South Australian
MP Annette Hurley would continue to do good work despite being dumped by her right faction.

Labor backbencher Jennie George today said it was regrettable a woman had been tapped
on the shoulder.

"There's a lot of frustration in the caucus because we have developed a culture of
a mutual protection society," Ms George told reporters in Canberra.

But Ms Gillard today defended the decision.

"I can understand that Jennie was a little bit anxious about that but ... obviously
(Opposition Leader) Kevin (Rudd) was very keen to shape the frontbench team," Ms Gillard
told ABC Radio in Perth.

"Annette Hurley will continue to be out there arguing the cause for Labor, she's a
South Australian senator and you should expect to hear more from Annette.

"But with shaping the frontbench team today, both Kevin and I thought it very important
that we saw Peter Garrett come forward, that we saw Craig Emerson come forward, we saw
a newcomer but someone who has already made a significant contribution in Chris Bowen
come forward.

"And of course we saw Bob McMullan who is an experienced hand and a wise-head return
to the frontbench."

Mr Garrett, Mr Bowen, Mr Emerson and Mr McMullan were elected unopposed to the shadow
ministry at a 10-minute Labor caucus meeting this morning.

Senator Hurley did not renominate after being dumped by her right faction last night
to make way for both Mr Bowen and Dr Emerson.

The decision leaves just seven women on Labor's 32-person frontbench.

That's still more than the five on the government frontbench.

AAP np/drp/nf

KEYWORD: LABOR GILLARD

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