Julia Gillard has always maintained her work with Socialist Forum, "a sort of debating society," was part-time clerical work when she was a student.
ABC Broadcast: 17/10/2007
TONY JONES: Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?
JULIA GILLARD: Tony, it's 2007 and I'm a 46-year-old woman. What Peter Costello is referring to is more than 20 years ago when I was in my 20s. I was a full-time university student and I had a part-time job for an organisation called Socialist Forum, which was a sort of debating society. It ultimately amalgamated with the Fabian society, which of course is a long-running ideas and debating group in Australian politics and indeed in British politics before Australian politics. I've worked in the cleric and administrative work.
Ms Gillard softens the Fabian Society's socialist bent.
Sitting on "The Special management Committee" seems more involved than part-time clerical work.
