So Julia Gillard is Australia’s first woman to be PM. I hope she receives better treatment in that position than some of the other women who in the past have been sent in to clean up the mess!

I hope she is treated with the respect she is due. Over the last three years Julia Gillard has shown her toughness and her ability to deal with the rough and tumble of Australian politics. In fact, she has really shone through.

When she first became Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, I was dubious. Although pleased to see her in the position, I was not sure that she would be more than a sop to voters who thought there should be a little more equity in politics. But she has proven me wrong. That’s not to say that she is perfect, but until women are also permitted flaws in public life, we have come nowhere.

I hope she can be a good leader; the kind of leader Australia needs; someone thoughtful and frank; someone who listens. I hope that she is not saddled with too many expectations, because one person, one woman cannot fix all of society’s ills. I hope she can be a real person in a difficult job.