SYDNEY -- The first female prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, has come out of hiding for a no-holds-barred interview on her former leadership.
In 2010, Gillard ousted Kevin Rudd as leader of the Labor Party in Australia and rose unopposed to become Australia's Prime Minister.
It was a volatile reign, marred by party in-fighting, devastating polling and detrimental leaks. In 2013, Rudd got his revenge. He instigated a spill which saw him reinstated as Prime Minister of Australia. Yet, he couldn't hold it together and the party was dropped in favour of the opposition, the Liberal Party, in the 2013 election.
After her knifing, Gillard returned to a quiet life in Adelaide and moved predominately out of the spotlight, until now.
In an interview titled The Whole Truth on a special Channel Nine program on Tuesday evening, Gillard opened up to veteran Australian interviewer Ray Martin. It comes in the lead up to the release of her book My Story on Sept. 26.
On walking away
She says in her new life she can enjoy walks on the beach but also focus on her passions, such as education in developing countries.
"There is relief in being free of some of the more stressing bits of [the job]. It is a huge job, a weighty job, it is a tiring job, the responsibilities are enormous ... it is a privilege of a job too."
Why is Julia Gillard back? Stop making Julia Gillard happen. It's not gonna happen.— Thomas (@DarkHorse_TM) September 23, 2014
On her appearance
When in power, Gillard was constantly scrutinised for her outfits, hairstyles and general appearance by the media and the public. Gillard wrote in her book she was never a "girly-girl" and suddenly everything about her was being critiqued.
"People look at how your clothed and your demeanor and make a whole valued set of judgements," she said.
Let's hope he moves onto the knifing. Really not interested in her hair, clothes and boyfriend. #Gillard— Kathryn Wicks (@KathrynWicksSMH) September 23, 2014
On Kevin Rudd
"We'd done a pretty good job, I think, of shielding from public view some of the issues about the functioning of the government in its last few months, some of the issues about the way in which Kevin was approaching the prime ministership at that time," she told Martin.
"I thought his reaction would be one of hurt and acute distress. I mean I know a lot now about what it feels like to lose the prime ministership, so I expected him to feel very, very battered and bruised.
Gillard said the emotional reaction she expected from Rudd was not the one offered.
"I also expected that emotion of relief, that he was free from the weight of it, to be a very strong one, because he had found it so difficult in those last few months. Obviously I was wrong about that," she said.
Gillard admitted she gave Rudd the job as foreign minister after she ousted him, as he was causing too many issues internally.
"I had no choice. I had to stop the leaks and it was you know made abundantly clear to me that the kinds of things we’d seen with the leaks to [political journalist] Laurie Oakes were just going to keep happening."
Jullia Gillard “I had no choice. I had to stop the leaks” on why she gave Rudd the Foreign Ministry. #auspol #9news— Jamila Rizvi (@JamilaRizvi) September 23, 2014
In the interview, she denied her office leaked the embarrassing video of the former prime minister swearing or that he had acted in a volatile way to her.
"Day to day, Kevin was careful to not direct that kind of tirade at me. He didn't do that. I certainly saw him conduct himself that way to others," she said.
Gillard told Martin if Rudd had just walked away, she believes she would have successfully won the 2013 election against Tony Abbott.
"It wasn't a question of the popularity polls worrying me, it was the distraction of it. You were always fighting on two fronts," she said.
"If I had a clear run ... I think in those circumstances I could of out-campaigned Abbott."
On Alan Jones
In 2012, controversial radio shock jock Alan Jones said in a speech at a Liberal dinner Gillard's father, John, had died of shame.
"The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame. To think that he had a daughter who told lies every time she stood for parliament," he said in the address.
Gillard revealed the hurt this caused her and her family, and said she could never forgive him for his harsh words.
"Alan Jones intruded on my family's grief when we lost my father," she said. "Everyone makes an error in their lives, but there was something very cruel about that ... it was a disgraceful thing. Unforgivable."
On her misogyny speech
Gillard addressed her powerful speech to Tony Abbott in 2012 about misogyny, in which she slammed the Opposition Leader, now the prime minister, about his treatment of women.
The speech spread quickly across the world but Gillard said she had "zero sense" from inside parliament the impact it was making in the outside world.
"I knew the speech had landed heavily. I knew I had pushed them into some form of submission. I didn't know how it was going outside the chamber, meanwhile it was going viral," she said.
"In Australia, in the context in which we live, I think you are entitled to still say something is not right about the way we treat women."
The thing I like most about the #gillard misogyny speech is the backbencher who heckles the punchline "mirror" a sentence too early.— Alice Workman (@workmanalice) September 23, 2014
The Ray Martin interview of Julia Gillard has made an interesting revelation #Gillard #auspol #roasttv pic.twitter.com/EyzkLUvTrP— The Roast (@TheRoastTV) September 23, 2014
On life in the Lodge
Gillard grew up in a working class family in Adelaide and her transition to life in the Prime Minsiter's Lodge was a strange experience, she revealed.
"I had no life experience that prepared me for having staff around you in that close, intimate sense," she told Martin. "You could pretend you were poncing around in Downton Abbey or you could just try and embrace it and make it an extended family circumstance. Tim [her partner] and I chose to do that, to make it feel like we were all just hanging out together."
Gillard plugs Downton Abbey #gillardinterview— Kemal Atlay (@kemal_atlay) September 23, 2014
Her final thoughts
When asked by Martin whether she would do it all again, Gillard responded: "Absolutely."