Gillard Government Gillard Government confirmed a plan to increase the US military presence in northern Australia. Defence Minister Stephen Smith welcomed the first contingent of 200 US Marines to Darwin in April 2012 – with the force projected to grow to 2500. Since coming to office, Gillard has remained adamant towards her position in the Afghanistan War. The Gillard Government believes that withdrawing troops prematurely from Afghanistan, could re-establish the country as a 'safe haven' for terrorists. On 19 October 2010 Prime Minister Gillard addressed Parliament stating her government's commitment to the war, and said "Australia will stand firm in our commitment
Julia Gillard Governor-General Quentin Bryce, with Swan being sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister. The members of the Rudd Ministry, with the exception of Rudd himself who returned to the backbenches, subsequently became the members of the First Gillard Ministry. Later that day, in her first press conference as Prime Minister, Gillard said that at times the Rudd Government "went off the tracks", and "[I] came to the view that a good Government was losing its way". Gillard offered wider explanation of her motivations for replacing Rudd during the 2012 Labor leadership spill in which Rudd challenged Gillard to regain the Labor