Australia’s First Female Prime Minister Bows Out, Viral Fame Secured

Video of Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister, stepping down on Wednesday, from Britain’s Channel 4 News.

As Matt Siegel reports from Sydney, Australia’s first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, was forced from office on Wednesday by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, almost exactly three years after she had toppled him as leader of the ruling Labor Party in a similar fashion.

Ms. Gillard was saluted for the dignity of her remarks as she stepped down on Wednesday, but shewill no doubt be remembered more on the global stage of the Internet for the stinging rebuke she delivered to a male politician last year. In that speech, which has been viewed more than 2.5 million times on YouTube, Ms. Gillard told the leader of Australia’s opposition party, Tony Abbott, that he was a sexist, a misogynist and a hypocrite.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation video of Prime Minister Julia Gillard lambasting opposition leader Tony Abbott for sexism last! year.

Robert Mackey also remixes the news on Twitter @robertmackey.