Julia Gillard and David Bradbury during a discussion with the local media.
Julia Gillard arriving at the Liverpool Employment Expo this morning. Picture: Carlos Furtado
Julia Gillard arriving at the Liverpool Employment Expo this morning. Picture: Carlos Furtado
Julia Gillard arriving at the Liverpool Employment Expo this morning. Picture: Carlos Furtado
Julia Gillard arriving at the Liverpool Employment Expo this morning. Picture: Carlos Furtado
Julia Gillard arriving at the Liverpool Employment Expo this morning. Picture: Carlos Furtado
5pm: Ms Gillard is attending a Women of the West event at the Parramatta campus of the University of Western Sydney tonight.
3.30pm: Ms Gillard then went for a meeting with the local workers laying the NBN cables in the area and spoke to workmen.
While she was there the workers ruptured a water cable.
It is believed that she is on her way to another function in western Sydney this afternoon.
2.30pm: The Prime Minister has held a sit down interview with members of the local media at the Cake Pop Emporium in Penrith.
She was joined by Lindsay MP David Bradbury and they were quizzed on topics such as the carbon tax and transport problems in western Sydney.
Ms Gillard listed job creation and easing traffic congestion as her main priorities for western Sydney.
‘‘The people need an M4 that takes them to the city and takes freight to the port,’’ Ms Gillard said.
She said that was why she had offered a $1billion package to the state government for such a project, but Premier Barry O’Farrell had rejected it.
‘‘We have been able to work with Premier O’Farrell before, so we will keep the pressure on,’’ Ms Gillard said.
Earlier today Opposition Leader Tony Abbott accused the Prime Minister of only wanting a fight with the state government.
Ms Gillard said: ‘‘For important things, sometimes a fight has to be had.’’
She also dismissed Mr Abbott’s promise to reduce child care costs.
‘‘He said his plan to fund nannies will come out of existing funding for child care,’’ Ms Gillard said.
She also said the Coalition would axe the government’s school kids bonus and abolish the increase in the tax-free threshold.
The Prime Minister said the government’s rollout of the National Broadband Network and help in developing innovation precincts, such as the health-science unit at the University of Western Sydney, would bring jobs to the region.
‘‘We want to set up the economy for after the mining boom,’’ Ms Gillard said.
She would not comment on poor opinion polling and said her focus was on governing.
‘‘People will make their choice on election day; a stark choice between a plan for the future and negativity."
1.30pm: She met and interacted with local people on her way in and out of the library.
Ms Gillard has left the library now and is expected to stay in Penrith for the rest of the afternoon.
Penrith is located in the federal seat of Lindsay, which is one of the most marginal in the state.
It is currently held by David Bradbury, who is the assistant treasurer, by a slim margin of 1.1 per cent.
1pm: The Prime Minister has arrived at Penrith Library and is meeting locals.
As she arrived Ms Gillard was ambushed by a group of about six protesters who called on her to preserve agricultural land and not allow it to be destroyed by coal seam gas mining.
She is in Penrith to launch the Penrith Digital Economy Strategy at the library's theatrette.
Ms Gillard said the future belonged to those who step up and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented.
She said the roll-out of the National Broadband Network was one of those opportunities.
"Having local strategies for people to get the skills they need is pivotal," Ms Gillard said.
"We can make sure that everyone gets the benefit of these new technologies.
Penrith Mayor Mark Davis said because the area was one of the first NBN roll out sites in Australia, Penrith has a window of opportunity to capitalise on the benefits of the new technology.
He said the Digital Economy Strategy is a way of doing this by harvesting the potentially ongoing economic boost from the digital economy of the not to distant future.
He said economic benefits to the region's economy was expected to be a 7 to 12 per cent per year increase which translates to between $420 and $720 million.
The strategy would include courses to upskill people in ways of capitalising on the economic potential of the NBN.
Ms Gillard cut a ribbon to launch the program in a internet skills seminar the library.
12pm: Ms Gillard is now on her way to the launch of the Penrith Digital Economy Strategy at Penrith City Library Theatrette.
The launch is due to start at 12.45pm today and it is expected that Ms Gillard will be in Penrith for much of the afternoon.
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11:45am: Our reporter has a one on one interview with the Prime Minister and asks her about her plans to create jobs in western Sydney, a second Sydney airport and several other pressing topics.
Mr Gillard said she was interested in having a second airport but that her focus was Wilton as opposed to Badgerys Creek.
Listen to an audio recording of the interview below:
11.30am: The Prime Minister is addressing attendees at the employment forum.
She announced that her plan is to create jobs in Western Sydney.
Her plan is for greater western Sydney to be one of the locations of a $1.5 million innovation hub.
There would be 10 across the nation.
PM has announced plans for one of 10 innovation hubs in Greater Western Sydney.
— Kerri-Ann O'Sullivan (@K_OSullivan) March 7, 2013
“We want to make jobs right here so not everyone has to get on the roads and lose precious time with their families,” she said.
Christine from Human Services was pleased with the Prime Minister’s visit.
“I think it’s great for the community and job seekers,” she said.
More than 2,000 people had come through the doors of the expo during the hour before the PM’s visit.
PM said she's heard real issues and not interested in opinion polls.
— Kerri-Ann O'Sullivan (@K_OSullivan) March 7, 2013
“Jobs expos have made a real difference here and around the nation,” Ms Gillard said.
“We want to see people get the best of life’s opportunities.”
Ms Gillard spoke about her government’s aim to crackdown on 457 visas.“They should not be used to substitute the employment of local people,” she said.
Watch live: The Prime Minister @juliagillard is opening the Liverpool Jobs Expo in Sydney bit.ly/abcnewsnow#auspol#ABCNews24
— ABC News 24 (@ABCNews24) March 7, 2013
11am: Ms Gillard is meeting with employers, local business and community members at the expo in Liverpool now.
Our reporter, Kerri-Ann O'Sullivan is tweeting from the event.
People talk with the PM in Liverpool twitter.com/K_OSullivan/st…
— Kerri-Ann O'Sullivan (@K_OSullivan) March 7, 2013
Parents take baby out of pram with a hope that the Prime Minister sees her.
— Kerri-Ann O'Sullivan (@K_OSullivan) March 7, 2013
PM Julia Gillard talks with employers at Liverpool Jobs and Skills Expo twitter.com/K_OSullivan/st…
— Kerri-Ann O'Sullivan (@K_OSullivan) March 7, 2013
10.30am: Ms Gillard has arrived at the Liverpool Jobs Expo at the Whitlam Centre.
She is greeting job seekers and other attendees now.
10am: Job seekers have arrived at the Liverpool Jobs Expo at the Whitlam Centre, Liverpool and are gathering potentially helpful resources.
Liverpool is known for higher levels of unemployment compared to other parts of Sydney.
More than 1000 jobs and training opportunities are up for grabs today at the expo.
The event is designed to put local job seekers in touch with employers, training organisations and industry representatives.
Jobs on offer include opportunities such as apprenticeships in a number of different trades to jobs in hospitality and retail.
With more than 80 exhibitors at the Liverpool Jobs and Skills Expo, job seekers are encouraged to come armed with their resumes to take advantage of this unique opportunity to do months’ worth of job searching in a single day.
9am: The Prime Minister Julia Gillard is running late this morning and still hasn't left her accommodation at the Novotel at Rooty Hill RSL.
Yesterday afternoon: Julia Gillard was in Parramatta for a coffee with local MP Julie Owens.
While she was there, a four-year-old girl name Ruby wanted to meet the PM.
Ruby is four and wanted to meet the Prime Minister. TeamJG twitter.com/JuliaGillard/s…
— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillard) March 6, 2013
She also met with some employees of the House With No Steps.
The PM in Parramatta with Viviana, Emira, Kolata, Lorena, Anita & Lauren who work at House With No Steps. TeamJG twitter.com/JuliaGillard/s…
— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillard) March 6, 2013
Our reporter on the street, Kerri-Ann O'Sullivan and videographer Carlos Furtado spoke to people on the streets of Parramatta about what they thought of the Prime Ministers tour of western Sydney.
Watch our video below: