By Sara Malm PUBLISHED: 12:49 EST, 15 September 2013 | UPDATED: 06:59 EST, 16 September 2013 Powerful loss: Julia Gillard stepped down as Prime Minister after losing the Labor leadership Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has spoken for the first time about her ‘physical and emotional acute distress’ at losing her position of power. Ms Gillard, 51, was ousted as the leader of the country’s Labor party this June, forcing her to resign as prime minister. She describes the loss of her position as being ‘hit like a fist’ and says she grieves the loss of her political career.
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Julia Gillard was ousted as leader of Australia's Labor Party in June
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She describes losing power as the physical pain of 'being hit by a fist'
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Last week the ex-PM  was forced to watch her successor lose the election
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Kevin Rudd lost to Conservative Tony Abbot and has now stepped down
She says saying it sent @placeholder 'a very cynical and shallow message' about the party's sense of purpose.