Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for his question. I do recall that from the member for Bradfield. I also recall that the member for Bradfield then, I believe, wrote to me as the next step and was then in contact with my office. We were looking at a relevant time for me to go, trying to work through with the member for Bradfield about me attending. I actually followed it up personally at one point because I was keen to spend some time with the member for Bradfield, particularly in circumstances where he had announced that this would be his last parliament. We worked together very closely when I first came to this parliament. I obviously can ascertain from my office where those discussions are up to. I was very enthusiastic to go and I remain very enthusiastic to go and spend some time with the member for Bradfield.

More broadly, I say to the shadow minister who asked me the question that it does seem to me passing strange that we are on a day when unemployment figures came out—when the talk of the nation, I think, will be on economic circumstances facing this country during a global recession, about what today’s unemployment numbers mean, about what the future will be with unemployment—

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