Risky Ouster of Australian Prime Minister

Meet Australia’s Beer-loving, Roast-cooking, Hair-styling First Bloke
The manager of the Melbourne salon Heading Out where the couple met said that Mr Mathieson did not like to gossip, despite his profession — no doubt a relief to the new Prime Minister. Photo: The Times
THE TIMES: When Julia Gillard was sworn in as Australia’s first woman Prime Minister on Thursday, another piece of history was made: the country was also given its inaugural “First Bloke”.

Britain had Denis Thatcher, who described himself as the “most shadowy husband of all time” and referred to his wife, Margaret Thatcher, simply as “The Boss”; in the US, Todd Palin was nicknamed “The First Dude” by his wife, the former vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Now Australia has its own member of the international First Man’s Club: Tim Mathieson, a beerloving hairdresser who grew up in Victoria, likes cooking a lamb roast and still hangs out with his childhood mates.

Mr Mathieson has been in a relationship with the new Australian premier for the past four years and is not shy about expressing his feelings for her. “I find her genuinely such a warm person,” Mr Mathieson told the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne, where the couple share a house.

“Julia has a great sense of humour. It’s a really good, genuine, daggy humour. Her best qualities are determination, loyalty and humility.”

Mr Mathieson admits to being regularly called upon to provide last-minute styling for the flame-haired Prime Minister, whose ever-changing hairstyle is a topic of much discussion in Australia, as she heads out for her early-morning political commitments. “That’s my forte, the famous 5.30am blow wave,” he said. “Sometimes it’s 4.30. I’ve learnt to blow wave with one eye open or even in my sleep.”

Grace Romanin, manager of the Melbourne salon Heading Out, where the couple met, described Mr Mathieson as a “fantastic person”, who, despite his profession, does not like to gossip — something of a relief, presumably, for the new Prime Minister. >>> Sophie Tedmanson, Sydney | Friday, June 25, 2010

It's a Cliché! Coming from the Valleys, Left-wing Politics Comes as Standard! Gillard Becomes Australia's First Female PM

Y Fenyw Gyntaf and ‘the First Bloke’ of Australia
THE TELEGRAPH: Australia was learning of the special skills the boyfriend of its new woman prime minister will bring to the new role of "First Bloke".

Mr Mathieson said that his hairstyling skills were often called upon by the Welsh-born Ms Gillard early in the morning. Photo: The Telegraph
Tim Mathieson, a hairdresser turned estate agent and Julia Gillard's boyfriend of four years, gave a glimpse of life at the couple's shared home in Melbourne.

Mr Mathieson said that his hairstyling skills were often called upon at dawn by the Welsh-born Ms Gillard.

"That's my forte, the 5.30am blow wave," he said. "Sometimes it's 4.30am, I've learned to blow wave with one eye open or even in my sleep."

As well as tending to the prime ministerial hair, Mr Mathieson is also in change in the kitchen, baking Ms Gillard's favourite meal - a lamb roast - every Friday night.

Miss Gillard met Mr Mathieson at the Heading Out hair salon in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in 2004, but the pair did not form a relationship until 2006.

Grace Romain, the manager of the salon, said that the pair got to know each other slowly.

"That's how they met, in here," she told. "He was a very bubbly guy. He did styling - cutting and blow-drying.

"I'm just so glad that she chose someone outside of politics. He's such a great guy and I know he will make her very happy." Julia Gillard: Australia gets to know its new 'First Bloke' >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Friday, June 25, 2010

'Ten Pound Pom' Becomes Australia's Prime Minister
THE TELEGRAPH: Julia Gillard, a miner's daughter from South Wales, has become Australia's prime minister after a political coup to wrest control of the country from the beleaguered Kevin Rudd.

Julia Gillard, whose family left Barry as "Ten Pound Poms" when she was struck down with pneumonia at the age of five, was installed after the most eventful night in modern Australian politics.

Ms Gillard is the daughter of a coal miner and names Nye Bevan as one of greatest political inspirations. She says her start in life greatly influenced her leftist sensibilities and willingness to fight her corner.

Speaking in Canberra, Ms Gillard, 48, said she had challenged for the prime minister's job because "a good government had lost its way" and she did not want to see cuts in health and education if the opposition Liberal Party won the next election.

Watching their daughter make history by becoming the country's first female prime minister, John and Moira Gillard, who both still speak with thick Welsh accents, said that they were elated, but "mindful of the enormous job ahead of binding the party together."

Despite leaving the Vale of Glamorgan for Adelaide in 1966, Ms Gillard kept in close touch with the Barry community throughout her adolescence.

She returned to Wales when she was sixteen, spelling out her ambitions to her former neighbours during a one-week holiday.
Basil and Mabel Baker, who have known Ms Gillard since she was a baby, said that even as a teenager, she was intensely focused.

"I remember asking her 'So Julia, what do you want to do with your life? I suppose you want to get married and start a family'," Mr Baker, 91, said.

"Quick as a flash, she said to me 'Oh, I don't want to do that. I want a career and I want to get to the top. I've no time for marriage and kids'."

Still unmarried, but in a long-term relationship with hairdresser Tim Mathieson, Ms Gillard has gone on to achieve that goal, and more.

After starting life in a modest two-bedroom terrace in Barry, she now lives in a large home in the Melbourne suburb of Altona, and owns another flat in Canberra. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, June 24, 2010

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Blodwen took on Kevin, and won! >>>

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Hard-boiled Blodwen speaks >>>

VIDEO: Abbott faces off against Gillard: Mere hours after Julia Gillard is sworn in as the new Prime Minister she faces off against Tony Abbott in question time. >>> | Friday, June 25, 2010

Bloodthirsty Blod >>>

Australia’s First Woman Prime Minister Sworn In
Julia Gillard became Prime Minister of Australia after a leadership balllot at Parliament House in Canberra. Photograph: The Times
THE TIMES: Australia’s new Prime Minister has been sworn into office and immediately vowed to end division over a controversial mining tax, resurrect a carbon trade scheme and call an election within months.

The British-born Julia Gillard said that she was “truly honoured” to become the country’s first woman Prime Minister after a surprise coup among the Labor leadership resulted in Kevin Rudd, whose popularity was in terminal decline, stepping aside overnight.

Within hours of being elected leader of the Australian Labor Party after the shock caucus meeting in Canberra early this morning, Ms Gillard was sworn in as the country’s 27th Prime Minister and immediately set her agenda for the coming months.

“I asked my colleagues to make a leadership change because I believed that a good Government was losing its way,” Ms Gillard said of the tumultuous turn of events.

“I love this country and I was not going to sit idly by and watch an incoming Opposition cut health, cut education and smash rights at work.”

Ms Gillard promised to lead a “strong and responsible government that will take control of our future, improving and protecting the essential public services and basic rights our people depend on”. Read on and comment >>> Sophie Tedmanson, Sydney | Thursday, June 24, 2010

Rudd Quits To Give Australia First Woman PM
SKY NEWS: Kevin Rudd has stepped down as Australian prime minister, allowing his deputy Julia Gillard to become the country's first female leader. Sky's Ian Woods reports.



Related: Kevin Rudd Gets Dumped >>>

Kevin Rudd Dumped as Julia Gillard Becomes Australian Prime Minister
THE TELEGRAPH: Australia has its first female prime minister after Kevin Rudd stood down on Thursday, handing the leadership to his deputy Julia Gillard.



Mr Rudd was convinced to step aside after it became obvious during an emergency caucus meeting that he did not have the support of enough MPs to continue serving as prime minister.

The British-born Ms Gillard was reportedly backed by at least 75 of the Labour Party's 115 MPs, sending a clear and emphatic message to Mr Rudd that it was time to go.

The threat to Mr Rudd's leadership emerged on Wednesday night, after senior Labour powerbrokers told him that he had lost their support and Ms Gillard revealed that she would challenge him.

The prime minister was urged to step down, but a defiant Mr Rudd announced that he would go to a vote.

After a night of frantic phonecalls to gauge support, Mr Rudd decided not to stand against Ms Gillard, handing her the prime ministership unopposed. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, June 24, 2010

Related article here

Australians Furious about Their Rudderless Leader
TIMESONLINE: Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister, won office by promising to be less slavish to American interests than his predecessor, John Howard. So it was hardly surprising that his decision to salute President Bush at a Nato get-together last night did not go down too well at home.

But Mr Rudd might not have been prepared for the barrage of criticism unleashed by a gesture which he insisted today was nothing but an impromptu joke.

Footage of the newly-elected Labour prime minister raising his hand to salute Mr Bush during a social gathering on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Bucharest has been broadcast repeatedly on Australian television, drawing accusations of subservience to the world superpower.

Brendan Nelson, the Opposition leader, described Mr Rudd’s behaviour as "conduct unbecoming of an Australian prime minister." Anger Down Under over Kevin Rudd’s Salute to Bush >>> By Hannah Strange | April 4, 2008

Mark Alexander