Julia Gillard day as prime minister, Gillard reassured US president Barack Obama of Australia's continuing support for the military campaign in Afghanistan, which was then in its ninth year of operation. She visited Afghanistan on 2 October 2010, meeting with members of the Australian Defence Force in Tarinkot, and President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. The visit marked her first foreign trip as prime minister. Following the visit, A parliamentary debate was conducted for four sitting weeks of parliament in November 2010, with the agreement between Gillard and Abbott that it would be necessary for Australian soldiers to stay in Afghanistan and prevent
Julia Gillard Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. On , after Rudd lost the support of his party and resigned, Gillard was elected unopposed as his replacement, thus becoming prime minister. The subsequent 2010 federal election saw the first hung parliament since 1940. Gillard was able to form a minority government with the support of a Green MP and three independents. On 26 June 2013, after a leadership spill, Gillard lost the leadership of the Labor Party back to Rudd. Her resignation as prime minister took effect the following day. Gillard retired from politics on 5 August 2013, before