Gillard visits city with boots on

Hamish Heard
Deputy Labor leader Julia Gillard yesterday became the latest in a string of powerful ALP figures to visit Geelong to bolster the party’s election chances in the federal seats of Corangamite and Corio.
Ms Gillard used a tour Gordon TAFE’s East Geelong campus with candidates Darren Cheeseman and Richard Marles to stick the boot into the Howard Government’s record on education and industrial relations.
“Under the Howard Government, 325,000 Australians have been turned away from TAFE courses and this is in circumstances where employers are crying out for skilled Labor,” she said.
Ms Gillard said she was disappointed about ousted Corio MP Gavan O’Connor’s decision to stand against his former party as an independent.
“I certainly think Gavan has made the wrong decision,” she said.
Ms Gillard said the party was fighting hard to retain Corio and win Corangamite at next month’s election.
“We know that right around the country this will be a hard fought contest right down to election day.”