The Real Julia Gillard

Spotted – a mask-free Julia Gillard raising a glass to Freedom Day while more than half of Fortress Australia’s population is in lockdown.

Brian Cox, Kathy Lette and Julia Gillard celebrating Freedom Day.

Spotted – a mask-free Julia Gillard raising a glass to Freedom Day while more than half of Fortress Australia’s population is in lockdown. The former prime minister celebrated Boris Johnson’s decision to scrap Britain’s restrictions with a spin around the glamorous Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens. But the Real Julia has hardly been in hibernation. She’s been quietly sojourning in London for the summer season with a celebrity entourage including pop physicist Brian Cox, author Kathy Lette and TV presenter Penny Smith … with no sign of Tim Mathieson. The 59-year-old was snapped swanning around Holland Park with Lette and opera director James Clutton in May, taking in a semi-alfresco performance of The Marriage of Figaro. The former Labor leader’s last appearance down under was in March when she scored an AstraZeneca jab alongside Health Minister Greg Hunt. By the time her second Taming of the Flu shot rolled around, she was well ensconced in her motherland.

If not now, when?

Gillard’s social media is carefully curated to reflect only her public roles – chair of charity foundation Wellcome Trust, chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, fundraising for the Global Partnership for Education, host of A Podcast Of One’s Own and friend of Grammy winner Rihanna. Thank god for Lette, a prolific Instagram poster, who gives a glimpse inside Gillard’s life and inner circle of influencers. “Are you over excited about the end to restrictions in Britain? I tried to contain myself, but I escaped,” Lette wrote on Sunday, alongside a snap of a smiling Cox and Gillard throwing back some vino. “Busy inoculating ourselves with laughter and champagne before Covid comes back to bite us in the bum.” We bet Gillard and Lette had a cheeky champers and a chuckle after hearing about Kevin Rudd’s Pfizer phone call. Or maybe Gillard needed something stronger to drown her sorrows after being confronted by a stranded young Aussie during a Q&A last week. Gillard and former foe Alexander Downer were headlining an exclusive event thrown by the Royal Over-Seas League and Britain-Australia Society when Eleanor from Melbourne raised her hand. The 31-year-old explained she’d recently lost a loved one but had no way of getting home until September, because of the reduced international arrival numbers. Gillard was compassionate but didn’t criticise the Labor premiers who championed the cap. “When I came here, I knew that I was running a risk, which I voluntarily assumed; I, like you, am aware of Australians in very hard circumstances trying to get home,” she said. Gillard’s risk? Being stuck celebrating her 60th birthday in Britain, on September 29. Gillard has delayed her return until November as she doesn’t have a “pressing humanitarian need” and did not want to displace anyone from a flight or hotel quarantine spot. She hopes to complete home quarantine before Christmas in Adelaide.

Delta skelta

Tony Abbott also left Team Australia this week, on a trip to talk trade in England and India. The former prime minister has an “auto exemption” to the travel ban, according to Border Force boss Michael Outram, because of his unpaid job as a trade envoy for the UK government. There’s never been a more exciting time for an Abbott exodus as it gives him an excuse to meet new grandson Ernest Loch, born on Gough Whitlam’s birthday to middle daughter Frances in Portland, Oregon. Abbott is no stranger to hotel quarantine, having celebrated his 63rd birthday behind closed doors last November after returning from an overseas jaunt that included a Rome mass conducted by George Pell.

Ship without a Rudder

Kevin Rudd, meanwhile, won’t stop shaking the sauce bottle. “I think Anthony Albanese is well positioned; he’s got his hand very much on the hose as opposed to other political leaders who don’t think that’s for them,” the former prime minister told the ABC. Kudos to the Asian Studies Centre, where Rudd is chief executive, for stumbling on a simple way to keep the Iced Vovo fan quiet during interviews — invite Chinese American opera singer Hao Jiang Tian.

Opera singer Hao Jiang Tian has shared the stage with Pavarotti, Domingo and now… Rudd? Poor fella. Nonetheless, we had some fun :) pic.twitter.com/O9ePHixjXT

— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) July 20, 2021

Cents and sensibility

Annastacia Palaszczuk has pre-emptively turned down any possible invitation to the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, shunning the chance to sit alongside 1000 VIPs including European royalty and US first lady Jill Biden. The Queensland Premier plans to stick to her budget Contiki tour and watch all Olympic events from her hotel room. Hang on – are we covering her room service bill as well as hotel quarantine? Ahead of the 2032 host-city vote on Wednesday, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner provided some insight into Queensland’s pitch. Forget grand designs and big biddings wars, Palaszczuk’s unofficial tagline is … “The Lower Cost Games”. Not Gold Coast Glamour?

Meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Tokyo.

We’re getting ready for the final pitch to host the 2032 Olympic Games.

No matter where you live, I encourage you to share in this moment.

Queensland, it’s our time to shine ⭐️#Brisbane2032pic.twitter.com/DSUEVn7Lrc

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 20, 2021

The vault in our stars

Deputy Premier Stephen Miles is certainly lowering expectations while the boss is away. “We will be in constant contact during the week as we do everything that we can to land the Commonwealth … the Olympic Games for Queensland,” he auto-corrected.

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