Ms Gillard told reporters: ‘‘For many months now I have been the subject of a very sexist smear campaign.’’

Asked why she had not opened an official file on the association - in accordance with practice - Ms Gillard stressed her involvement was to ‘‘provide advice’’, but she conceded that with hindsight she perhaps would have logged the action.

She said: ‘‘There would be a number of things I would do differently. Life doesn’t always afford you that opportunity.’’

Speaking in depth for the first time on the issue, Ms Gillard - who was an industrial lawyer at the time of the contentious events - said she understood that she was helping to set up an association that could engage in fund-raising.



Ms Gillard said: ‘‘I had taken the view over the past few days that given no new assertions of any worth have been made that I should not dignify this campaign with a response either. However, this morning something changed on that.

‘‘The Australian newspaper republished a false and highly defamatory claim about my conduct in relation to these matters 17 years ago.’’