Prime Minister Gillard Gets the Bashing from Some Marsden HS Students
Boisterous kids made Prime Minister Julia Gillard's visit to Marsden High School in Logan, Queensland, unforgettable. Students at Marsden High School used bad words to greet her and a student tossed his half eaten vegemite sandwich to the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Gillard was quick to dismiss media frenzy over the half eaten sandwich saying, "Far be it for me to say that the media errs on the side of the dramatic. Far be it for me to say that. But I think out of hundreds and hundreds screaming over-excited kids, one kid thought they might be just a little bit naughty and had a little squealing sense of delight as they did. So there was a half sandwich, which was really on the ground, it wasn't anywhere else."
Michelle Campbell, Marsden High School P & C president expressed her disappointment about the incident but she tried to rationalize what happened by saying that, "kids will be kids though." She hinted that the school might not just be fitting place for a Prime Minister to visit.
The Prime Minister's Twitter page, on the other hand, posted pictures contradicting all reports of disorderliness. The photos posted showed the Prime Minister smiling and enjoying her interaction with the students.
The Prime Minister was in Marsden High School this morning to sit down with the Logan community leaders and take part in Australia's Biggest Morning Tea, The Australian reports. Her presence at the said activity was aimed primarily to raise fund for the Cancer Council in order to support patients and to be able to raise budget for scientific research.
She announced that there will be an additional $2.4 million budget obtained for cancer research, allocated for the next four years. According to the Prime Minister, "... cancer treatment and prevention was a key priority for me and my government, with every Australian family being affected in some way by the disease."
The student's rowdy reception happened the moment that the Prime Minister arrived at the school. Students formed a line on the sides of the foot path, supposedly to respectfully acknowledge her presence. During few minutes of the Prime Minister's arrival
There were students who were shouting the word "loser" to the Prime Minister. Teachers were prompt to control the students but the students outnumbered the teachers.
"It's like One Direction are here ", a high school teacher told Fairfax media during an interview. Students were also seen taking out their phones and snapping the Prime Minister amidst the disorder. Most students were trying to 'discreetly' take their selfies with the Prime Minister.
What happened was a mirror image of how the Prime Minister's position in the polls gets obscure each day.
The Prime Minister was experiencing blows to her polls after her unsuccessful attempt of public support for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The May 6 polls showed Prime Minister Gillard short of about five points from Mr. Abbott.
The poll was conducted to determine who the most preferred Prime Minister is. The Coalition leaders had reportedly supported the NDIS which put further toehold for Prime Minister Gillard's position in the polls.