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April 22nd, 2013 
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has faced the people at a suburban Melbourne forum, more akin to a polite dinner party than a fiery debate.
Around 100 undecided voters filed into the Burvale Hotel, a Nunawading pub complete with pool tables and an $11 ‘Parma & Pot Deal’ every Wednesday. The pub is in the nation’s second most marginal seat of Deakin.
Marriage equality, education funding and superannuation featured prominently, but Ms Gillard was not heckled and voices weren’t raised.
The prime minister believes marriage is between a man and a woman and last year voted against proposed changes to the marriage act in federal parliament that would have supported same-sex marriage.
“My view’s pretty well known and I’m not seeking to impose my view on anybody,” she said.
Federal parliament’s response to a bill to change the marriage act was to vote it down 98-42, despite heavy lobbying by gay groups and some MPs.
Labor MPs were allowed a conscience vote on the issue, while Liberal MPs followed the party line and the majority opposed it outright.
Ms Gillard said for a future bill to pass, all MPs need to be allowed a conscience vote.
“So I hope the other side of politics gets there,” she said.
University students questioned why the federal government had slashed higher education funding by $2.3 billion to bankroll the Gonski school education reforms.
“You are robbing Peter to pay Paul,” student Kevin said.
Another student Michael said rather than cutting university funding to pay for the Gonski reforms the government should end the costly mandatory detention of asylum seekers.
“How does cutting education to fund education promote a smarter Australia?” he said.
“How does locking up desperate people who have committed no crimes for an indeterminate amount of time promote a fairer Australia?”
Ms Gillard said the government had boosted university funding by 50 per cent since winning office.
“Funding will still go up, it just won’t go up as sharply,” she said.
“I want more kids to go to university, I want more kids to have apprenticeships.”
She said the government had not been able to fully implement its asylum-seeker policy due to parliamentary gridlock.
After the forum, Kellie Gardner, of Fairfield, said she was persuaded to vote Labor at the September election.
“I thought she answered the questions well – she seems very approachable,” she said.
“I don’t like (Opposition Leader) Tony Abbott; I don’t find him appealing.”
Debbie, from Northcote, said she was impressed with Ms Gillard’s performance.
“She was honest,” she said.
During the forum, the prime minister pledged to investigate the issue of superannuation for foster carers.
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