News location:

Canberra Today 13°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

The call that shattered Gai’s life

IN April 1996, barely three months into a three-year posting in India for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Gai Brodtmann received a “devastating” phone call.

The Department told her she was one of 30,000 public servants made redundant by the newly elected Howard Government and that she was to come home by the end of the year.

“It was a devastating blow, and a real shock,” the now Federal Labor Member for Canberra says.

“I had geared my life up for this three-year posting, packed up everything, let our house and I was really excited about it.”

The news was a double blow as Gai’s husband, journalist Chris Uhlmann, had resigned from his position at “The Canberra Times” for the couple’s move to India.

“It took Chris a long time to get another full-time job again as, by then, ‘The Canberra Times’ weren’t hiring anyone since it was such an uncertain time…[the cuts] really affected all of Canberra,” Gai says.

“As a couple, Chris and I really had to support each other to get through it, it was a very tough time for us both.”

Gai was one of eight workers at the Department to be offered another position later that year, but when she returned to the office in 1997 to start her new job, the mood was sombre.

“It was just awful, there were bulk farewells being held for those who got sacked, men and women in tears… in a way people were quite stunned about what was happening,” Gai says.

“To see those farewells… well it was a very different kind of farewell. It was just soul shattering.”

Gai went on to work for the Attorney General’s Office and later ran her own PR Consultancy business for 10 years before making the move to politics in 2010.

She believes the mass sacking has made her a “fiercer” politician.

“It made me want to fight for Canberra, to stand up for Canberra, and try to communicate to people what could be,” she says.

“It was a tragic time for this city, we went into an economic downturn, house prices plummeted, the local shops were closing down, businesses went under…it not only affected these workers but their families as well. The whole region suffered.”

Despite her own party’s attrition of the public service over recent years, Gai says she fears if the Coalition reign in September, there will be an “eerily similar” outcome to that of 1996.

“People are scared, so I’m saying to them don’t let it happen again,” she says.

“I know the devastation, I know how it felt. Canberra is a growing city, look how much is going on…I don’t want that to stop.”

Gai still keeps in touch with many of her colleagues who were sacked, and says they “vividly remember” that time.

“They can’t forget something like that,” she says.

“But I think they are happy I am speaking out about what happened, many people want to know more about it… I won’t give up fighting for Canberra.”

 

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Share this

One Response to The call that shattered Gai’s life

Frank Walmsley says: 30 May 2013 at 2:23 pm

Gai is a great member. I have had the pleasure of meeting her a few times and she has allways appeared to be sincere and caring.

Lets hope she is back in the house in 2014.

Reply

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews