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Kevin 707: Rudd’s travel starts to raise eyebrows

Malcolm Farr

by Malcolm Farr

07 Feb 06:00am

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Filed under: Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, Politics, Travel

139 comments

Over the past fortnight Kevin Rudd has monitored two major Australian issues from vantage points which don’t seem perfect for the task.

Some would argue Rudd's world view is a little like this

When Australians were reported to be trapped and in danger in Egypt, he was in Switzerland. When a massive cyclone hit his home state, he was in Lichtenstein.

Today, he will be back in the country for the first time in those two weeks, arriving just before the resumption of Parliament for the year.

Every day he was away Rudd was in contact with his department and his Canberra office, and spoke with Prime Minister Julia Gillard on a number of occasions.

There is no evidence his absence caused problems with running evacuations out of Cairo, or north Queensland.

But the enthusiasm of his return to the international ministerial jet set might be a problem if it is later perceived to be a personal indulgence.

Rudd appears determined to make sure that as Foreign Minister he won’t lose the continent-hopping routine he established as Prime Minister.

He will use the access-all-areas travel pass gained as part payoff for his brutal demotion, and he will not stint.

Since setting off on January 24, Rudd has been to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Davos, Switzerland; Istanbul/Ankara, Turkey; Athens, Greece; Lichtenstein; and Munich, Germany.

Back in late November he also was on the move, to the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and Bahrain.

He was in his Brisbane electorate during the dreadful floods, but before then had also visited Brazil (specifically the lusciously named regional capital of Foz do Iguacu), Chile, Jordan, and Ramallah.

He was to have led an Australian delegation of MPs and journalists on a visit to Israel but his colleagues have reported he was only incidentally associated with them. Rudd beat his own path.

He is no tourist and each destination included the usual Rudd load of conferences, private meetings and speeches. Plus, the minister would argue that being in Turkey as the Egyptian government crumbled under the pressure of street attacks allowed him to gain a critical regional perspective.

And in true Rudd form, he has stayed up at odd hours to tell us what has been going on. Rudd will have given at least 11 Australian television and radio interviews over the two weeks he was away.

There is a solid reason for every overseas visit, from Addis Ababa to Munich, on the grounds of security, trade and, of course, Rudd’s crusade to get Australia a seat on the UN Security Council.

If there is any criticism of his agenda it has been muted, and some Labor figures probably like the idea of him being out of the country rather than chasing what they see as self-promotion at home.

Welcome back Kevin.

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139 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Peter Oataway, Hay, New South Wales says:

      05:21am | 07/02/11

      Put the Murray Darling Basin communities in the Uzbekistan - Kazakhstan part of the atlas: At least they wouldn’t try to economically castrate us like Doctor Kevin and Nurse Wrong.

      Reply

    • Wilma J Craig says:

      12:48pm | 07/02/11

      “Try to economically castrate us”, Peter? Just try?
      Thanks to Rudd,Jooolya,Garrett,Wong & Swan with their killing & rorting programmes etc they have completed the job. The Federal Government of Australia, thanks to these clowns, went from boom to bust in less than 18 months!

    • persephone says:

      01:11pm | 07/02/11

      There was a little thing called the GFC, Wilma, which had an even worse effect on other governments around the world.

    • Wilma J Craig says:

      01:43pm | 07/02/11

      Welcome back, Persephone! (some nasties during the 2010 Fed Election thought you were Jooolya usine a nom de plume!)
      Yes there was the GFC but we must not forget that if there was one subject the Federal ALP Government kept hammering it was that “Australia escaped almost unscathed from the GFC”. That was, in large part, because of the reforms started by Paul Keating then expanded & completed by Peter Costello. We would probably have been far better off if after we had dumped the Coalition in favour of the Rudd ALP if Paul Keating had still been holding the purse strings. Rudd, Gillard & Swan & Wong are rank amateurs in comparison to either Hawke, Keating, Howard & Costello.

    • James1 says:

      04:04pm | 07/02/11

      Those reforms are far from completed yet, Wilma.  There is still a lot of dead wood in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors to clear out before that little job is done.

    • Dissident says:

      04:45pm | 07/02/11

      There was no global financial crisis.

      The GFC is a convenient scapegoat for an incompetent federal government. Look up the growth rates of China and India and see for yourself. Large chunks of Africa are nicely running at higher than 5% growth too.

      There was no global financial crisis.

    • Ken says:

      05:07am | 08/02/11

      Yeah, and there is no global warming as it’s snowing in America. Check out Lord Monckton he speaks the truth. Alan Jones is a good source for the truth as well.

    • Christian Real says:

      06:58am | 08/02/11

      Dissident
      The Liberal party and their supporters seems to be in denial about everything, it shows how narrow minded and tunnel visioned they are when they can’t even accept fact, that the GFC really did happen, and it was felt World wide.

    • MattP says:

      05:29pm | 08/02/11

      The Financial Review is in agreement - the size and haste of the stimulus packages were not commensurate with the effect of the GST on Aust - Rudd stuffed up again, going off half cocked with his lunatic ideas.

      The US will very shortly suffer a catastrophic down turn when the US dollar is no longer accepted as the preferred global currency - it is not wise to print money for debts that you cannot pay.

      Labor will not listen, they gaily go about their wasteful and reckless business of debt accumulation and it won’t be long before we are in very deep poop!

    • Gary Cox says:

      05:50am | 07/02/11

      I agree with the last paragraph. When he’s in Australia he’s only seeking self promotion (eg. Cleaning up at the floods in Brisbane with camera crews), so I prefer him out of the way

      Reply

    • TChong says:

      06:17am | 07/02/11

      What do you reckon of Abbott, yesterday , then,?  Mr 31% ,too stupid to be wearing a hat or jacket, in the pouring rain.
      Made for TV , just as much as Rudd.

    • Super D says:

      06:22am | 07/02/11

      I just wish we didn’t have to pay for it.

    • PaulB says:

      06:34am | 07/02/11

      Chong I wasn’t aware this article was about Abbott.

    • watty says:

      07:30am | 07/02/11

      Chongy….WTF has a hatless and coatless Abbott got to do with the travelling dangleberry?

    • TChong says:

      08:10am | 07/02/11

      Watty, PaulB, read Garry Cox comment- bags Rudd, ( “eg cleaning up with camera crews”) well and good, but any comparison to Abbotts made for TV antics leave you all gobsmacked?
      Funny guys.

    • Brisbane Jack says:

      08:32am | 07/02/11

      Chong, get with it, just have a look at all the school kids, it is no longer cool to wear rain gear. Tony probably had the budgie smugglers on and I sure he isn’t afraid of the getting wet.

    • Gregg says:

      08:50am | 07/02/11

      @ watty
      No relevance at all but then that’s what the rolling in the stinky mud pinkoism does for one.

    • Super D says:

      09:03am | 07/02/11

      What would TChong say if Abbott was in a hat and Jacket?  Not man enough to get wet, not fit to lead the country?

      *yawn*

      Though I guess it must be hard when the world turns against your idol because they figure out he’s a complete fraud.  I wonder if TChong was once a Milli Vanilli fan too…..

    • Grumpy says:

      09:14am | 07/02/11

      He lives in Brisbane, the camera crews found him.

    • TChong says:

      09:43am | 07/02/11

      Yeah Super D, clever linking to milli vanilli, but WTF you talking about ?
      Im no fan of Rudd- he was a Liberal Lite,, but obviosly a Lite worth imitating, hence Mr 31 % doing his staged for TV event .
      If Rudd was so phoney ( as many here alledge) with his trouser rolled up, then equally was Abbott, unnecessarily standing in the rain, when others had hats, brollys etc- obviosly a staged photo op.
      Abbott = Rudd in the cornball sideshow.

    • john says:

      09:53am | 07/02/11

      @ Gary Cox

      The truth is he is out to save his own political carcass by licking UN arse so he can get a UN seat, before he & labor get booted out in the next election.

      come-on people wake up!

    • Greg says:

      10:11am | 07/02/11

      Too bad TChong is gobsmacked by Tony Abbott. An article about the Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd leads TChong to make an irrelevant childish remark about Tony Abbott.  Yes you too are a funny guy.

    • john says:

      10:21am | 07/02/11

      @Greg, we can all see that TCHONG is waving the labor red flag, perhaps its same flag he waved when he was a VC in 1974. We all just treat him like the village idiot…. we need something to play with!!

    • Jim says:

      11:01am | 07/02/11

      @john - mate, I’m definately no fan of who TChong supports, but that VC comment goes lower than some of the personal attacks made by the usual trolls. Don’t stoop to their levels lest you look as stupid as they do.

    • Brad of Bentleigh says:

      11:40am | 07/02/11

      @Grumpy - “He lives in Brisbane, the camera crews found him. “

      He (or his office) actually advised the press of hs whereabouts throughout the day (in advance) so that they could have cameras turn up to see him helping out. This was reported at the time, but not widely.

    • john says:

      12:48pm | 07/02/11

      @Jim, Your right I’ll try hitting above the belt and go for the jugular next time.

    • Ben81 says:

      01:48pm | 07/02/11

      I’m pretty much convinced that there is absolutely nothing Tony Abbott can do or say without being attacked for it by the likes of TChong.  Before last week wasn’t it the fact that he wasn’t doing countless photo ops that had people complaining?

    • Levi says:

      06:30pm | 08/02/11

      Tony Abbott could rescue a drowning child from a raging river and TChong and his buddies would still manage to find a negative. They are the only “Mr No’s” around here.

    • Slim says:

      06:03am | 07/02/11

      News flash! Foreign Minister travels overseas and visits foreign countries!

      Reply

    • Gary says:

      06:54am | 07/02/11

      Shamne he wouldn’t take the PM with him and leave her over there.

    • CSAllen says:

      03:13pm | 07/02/11

      good idea Gary- Persephone can access via interwebs anywhere in the world

    • Roja says:

      02:10pm | 08/02/11

      Yeah, a Foreign Minister that is REQUIRED to be sitting in parliament due to that little thing called numbers.  So he travelled hard when he could, sounds logical to me.

    • biff says:

      06:43am | 07/02/11

      Will a super-fast NBN put an end to overseas junkets undertaken by our pollies?

      Reply

    • Paul C says:

      07:48am | 07/02/11

      Well it should, after all one of the major selling points was video conferencing. Then again labor will be long out of office by the time (and if) it is go ever built. Guess we will all have to wait and see.

    • julie in Bris says:

      10:36am | 07/02/11

      @biff excellent point.  They’d miss out on all those canapes though and hand shaking photo opps.

    • Likes Joining Dots says:

      06:50pm | 07/02/11

      @biff - good point about the NBN & video conferencing (VC).

      As Paul C pointed out, one of the key selling points of the NBN has been video conferencing.

      It’s so often said that our elderly and pensioners will benefit from the NBN because they can be diagnosed for life threatening illness via video conferencing. How good would that be?

      Not good enough for Rudd.

      He still has to has brief meetings in, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Davos, Switzerland; Istanbul/Ankara, Turkey; Athens, Greece; Lichtenstein; and Munich, Germany. - and that’s just the last 3 weeks.

      Meanwhile, if Rudd happened to fall ill (and I don’t wish this upon the chap btw). I’m sure that he would not be using video conferencing to have his local GP at the outer suburban clinic diagnose him.

      Nope. It’s Switzerland or Lichtenstein via the Govt jet and very much in person.

    • Jade says:

      06:48am | 07/02/11

      Damn, all those missed photo opportunities, he must be kicking himself.

      Reply

    • Old Clive says:

      07:07am | 07/02/11

      How many people did he take with him, I will carry his bags for him but I guess there are a lot of volunteers for that duty, maybe I can clean his teeth and brush his hair and wipe the dribble from his mouth.

      Reply

    • Paul says:

      10:12am | 07/02/11

      Ground Rudd for a couple of months and we could fund the flood/cyclone re-build without charging stay-at-home Australins a levy.

    • iansand says:

      07:16am | 07/02/11

      There is not much foreign for him to minister to in Australia.

      Reply

    • john says:

      08:05am | 07/02/11

      One would think their is more foreign to administer here in suburbia Australia.
      Obviously Rudd is a self serving indulgent nutcase and a embarrassment to this country. He is hypocritical in his stance on CO2 production, when he seems to be creating the biggest carbon footprint in the world himself.

    • bitch says:

      08:51am | 07/02/11

      Checkout Lord Monkton he explains that climate change co2 stuff is absolute crap

    • persephone says:

      09:21am | 07/02/11

      Check out the scientific world, who think that Lord Monckton is absolute crap.

    • john says:

      09:21am | 07/02/11

      @bitch, you have to do better than quote some crack-pot liar that claims to be someone who isn’t:

      “The House of Lords has said he is not and never has been a member, and that there is no such thing as a non-voting or honorary member”

      Just google his name to scan read 64 pages of links and after just the first page its a clear profile of a supreme nut-case of the highest british order.

      Conclusion: he is an eccentric idiot, we thankfully don’t have anything like him in Australia to match. Anyone that associates with him, do so at their peril.

    • Dissident says:

      04:56pm | 07/02/11

      John - You could be a raving lunatic who refers to himself as the true King of England, but if you say that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West (broadly speaking), you would be right anyway. We can observe your theory and confirm its accuracy.

      Or you could be a scientist who is a master of ‘hiding the decline’ and whose computer models are designed to tell us what the weather will be like in 100 years - except they can’t even accurately predict the past.

      Go figure?

    • john says:

      08:57pm | 07/02/11

      @Dissident,
      how did you know all that about me?

    • centurion48 says:

      07:47am | 07/02/11

      As you said, he was in contact with his office, his department and his PM every day. He is the foreign minister. He is doing his job.
      All very well to criticise him if he rings the journos and asks for them to come and interview him or film him (in Australia or overseas) but it was not mentioned by the author who initiated the TV/radio/press coverage. Mal, can you clarify that?
      Let’s be marginally fair here. Like Kevin or not, he appears to be working very hard on behalf of the people of Australia doing what he is paid to do. If you want to pick on a political appointment overseas, try Tim Fischer at the Vatican for a taxpayer funded junket.

      Reply

    • L. says:

      08:14am | 07/02/11

      “As you said, he was in contact with his office, his department and his PM every day. He is the foreign minister. He is doing his job.”

      Ok, so why can’t the reverse of that happen..? If he can be in touch with his Dept and PM remotely, why can’t he do more foreign stuff “remotely”?

    • Brisbane Jack says:

      08:42am | 07/02/11

      Who said he was in touch with the PM, difficult to read sign language over the phone. I bet they don’t talk to each other often, and in my opinion, the evacuation from Cairo, was the give away.

    • Gregg says:

      08:55am | 07/02/11

      @ centurion
      And who was it that set up the Vatican post?
      None other than one Krudd and again why? - playing Mr. popularity with the catholics that time.

      Wake up to yourself and really ask whether you want this foot in mouth mental case representing Australia.

    • Greg says:

      10:21am | 07/02/11

      centurion48 you say Kevin Rudd appears to be working very hard on behalf of the people of Australia. Well then, what is it exactly that he’s being doing?

    • Markus says:

      11:13am | 07/02/11

      “If he can be in touch with his Dept and PM remotely, why can’t he do more foreign stuff “remotely”?”
      As far as telecommunications technology has come, it is still currently impossible (or at least extremely difficult) to kiss someone’s arse via video call.

    • n_dude says:

      11:18am | 07/02/11

      What about Amanda Vanstone’s appointment to Rome when Howard needed to use her as a scapegoat for immigration dept bungles.

    • Steve Putnam says:

      04:20pm | 07/02/11

      Rudd unlike Downer is doing his job. All you have do is to look are the foreign policy disasters the last named presided over: Blindly following the US and its imbecile of a president into the quagmire of the Iraq War. Failure to warn Australians of the terrorist threat in Bali despite two warnings from the US ambassador to Indonesia. Ignoring intelligence reports of an imminent bloodbath in Timor and looking the other way while the AWB bribed a bloodthirsty dictator (with whom we were at war) to buy our wheat.

    • Kellie says:

      05:34pm | 07/02/11

      Worth noting perhaps that there were several Australian pollies (including Kevin Rudd) present at the Vatican. Tim Fischer at-least had his ego in-check, was graciously aware of the going-ons around him, & was a more inspiring an Australian than most.

    • Kellie says:

      05:34pm | 07/02/11

      Worth noting perhaps that there were several Australian pollies (including Kevin Rudd) present at the Vatican. Tim Fischer at-least had his ego in-check, was graciously aware of the going-ons around him, & was a more inspiring an Australian than most.

    • Denny Crane says:

      07:49am | 07/02/11

      I could just imagine the talks in Liechenstein. we must do billions in trade with this country.

      I do believe though Liechenstein has good tax arragements

      Reply

    • dovif says:

      11:06am | 07/02/11

      Liechenstein

      Oh sorry, I through you said Austrian foreign minister

      No you cannot have a guided tour of our castles

    • nossy says:

      07:53am | 07/02/11

      This is the man Malcolm NASA should be signing up for its upcoming missions say to Mars etc. He loves to travel so who better than NASA to provide the big klms he just devours ! hahaah Said it often enough - Kev should have quietly left politics and moved on - sadly their seem to be many including Abbott who know no other “trade” and stick like glue. In Abbotts sad case its his huge $700k plus mortgage that welds him to the public purse but Rudd is “cash flushed” so for the life of me dont understand why he clings to the taxpayer ? Time to move on Kevy !

      Reply

    • TimB says:

      08:15am | 07/02/11

      Nossy, he clings because of his ginourmous ego.

      You know the speculation is that he’s shooting for a UN spot. That’s part of why he’s traveling around smoozing for votes in Africa & the Middle East so he can secure a spot for Australia on the Security Council.

      The second a UN post is offerred to him he’ll be off like a shot. It won’t happen if he retires into (deserved) obscurity.

    • john says:

      08:47am | 07/02/11

      All someone has to do is type Kevin Rudd in google, and just on the first page you can see links to him eating ear wax, and a link to “kevin rudd is a big fat liar”. Google ranks the links using a mathematical logarithm of relevance, I don’t think the UN will vote for this. To view a persons file all you need to do is consult google, try it with a few well known names and you’ll see google has their profile about right.
      Every google page has server negative connotations, on page 5 Kevin is a C**t!, not a glowing profile is it?.

      This is one of the worst political profiles of a popular figure I have found in google.

    • The Badger says:

      08:51am | 07/02/11

      This just in
      Politicians have big egos.
      Pundits speculate.
      Foreign Minister wants their countries views to matter on the world stage.
      There is life after politics

    • Jim says:

      11:07am | 07/02/11

      If KRudd was able to fool 8 million Australians into voting for him…surely a few dozen UN votes wouldn’t be hard to fund - er, I mean find.

    • pisces says:

      07:56am | 07/02/11

      His work ethic has always been impressive and makes him a great role model.

      Reply

    • Tony of Poorakistan says:

      08:42am | 07/02/11

      His work ethic IS impressive. Too bad he has an ego to match. And he is intractable when he gets his teeth into an idea, regardless of how poor or stupid it is. For once I am not referring to his Plasma Bonus, more to this idiotic dream to have a seat of the Security Council.
       
      Who cares, krud?

    • Sir Ronald Bradnam says:

      07:59am | 07/02/11

      grey politicians spending our money, fantastic. No doubt we will hear what a great success the trip was for australia on the international stage, how he is leading the way and only he is able to do the job correctly, admitedly with a entourage of dozens and I gaurantee he will need a follow up trip somewhere as recommended by the foreign minister of lichtenstein, egypt perhaps no i doubt it to hard basket, maybe Hawaii I hear this time of year is the best for tourists, because that is all he is. A tourist trying to set himself up for an international position with the UN and doing it on our coin.

      Reply

    • PD says:

      08:14am | 07/02/11

      A bit like some of the Australian news coverage of the riots in Egypt. A report full of vision of rioters rioting and opposition figures talking, all sans Australian reporter, who nonetheless signs off ‘Bill Bloggs, Cairo’. That’s probably the other Cairo on the French riviera.

      Reply

    • Damocles says:

      08:24am | 07/02/11

      From his little mobile office at Cannon Hill Shopping Centre in Brisbane to Liechtenstein. What a big jump for such a loud mouthed, big headed, little man.

      Reply

    • DJ says:

      08:32am | 07/02/11

      As much as I can’t stand Rudd the Dud, I have to agree with Slim. Don’t Foreign Ministers engage with foreigners .... like overseas. derrrrrr.

      Reply

    • Rev says:

      08:50am | 07/02/11

      Yep.

      The only people who have any right to complain are his constituents.

    • Retired Soldier says:

      08:40am | 07/02/11

      No one in Foreign Affairs or higher level government will say anything about Rudd’s travel to places far and wide because they are all pleased he is not in Canberra doing what he does best; micro managing everyone who crosses his path. Their attitude will be ” why ruin a good thing”!

      Reply

    • Snowy says:

      08:51am | 07/02/11

      And your point is, Mal? The man’s just doing his job. End of story.

      Reply

    • John Smythe says:

      08:54am | 07/02/11

      Basically, I stopped reading here…
      >>>>
      But the enthusiasm of his return to the international ministerial jet set might be a problem if it is later perceived to be a personal indulgence.

      Rudd appears determined to make sure that as Foreign Minister he won’t lose the continent-hopping routine he established as Prime Minister.

      He will use the access-all-areas travel pass gained as part payoff for his brutal demotion, and he will not stint.
      >>>>>

      Did you talk with Rudd personally? did he say this? Or is this just typical mudslinging? He’s our foreign minister. If you think he is abusing the position for some jet setting, then request an inquiry into his use of public funds.

      Using this forum to try and coerce the reading public with the intention of mudslinging just simply insults our intelligence.

      Epic fail.

      Reply

    • john says:

      09:38am | 07/02/11

      John, you can put all the logical spin as you want- and your quite right in your view, however, the fact remains we deserve him because he was re-elected. He is no different from Howard, and there is an element of truth when his comedy double sings along in the link below at 1min.42sec ” Only voted for me ‘cause you couldn’t take howards shit anymore”.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlYPIQ7Zni0&feature=related

      All that remains to to vote for another idiot when we can’t take Rudd’s shit anymore. The cycle continues..

    • John Smythe says:

      10:12am | 07/02/11

      Totally agree with you :
      All that remains to to vote for another idiot when we can’t take Rudd’s shit anymore. The cycle continues..

    • Brad of Bentleigh says:

      11:53am | 07/02/11

      Wow, John SMythe… you found this article to be critical? If that’s criticism, I could take that all day… from Farr no less!

    • John Smythe says:

      03:48pm | 07/02/11

      No Brad. If you read my comment, I did not find this critical in any way. Seem like typical dirty mudslinging and nothing more.

      To be honest, I don’t support ANY of our current politicians. And frankly wouldn’t support Farr either, based simply out of his communications here in The Punch.

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      08:56am | 07/02/11

      Gee, it must have been hard to be a foreign minister back in the days when there were no planes. No wait, I seem to recall from my history books, Australia functioned perfectly fine back then. Kevin Rudd is just doing what he did as Prime Minister- one long junket.

      Reply

    • persephone says:

      09:18am | 07/02/11

      Umm, which is why many politicians in those days spent months, if not years, overseas.

      Billy Hughes, the PM at the time, spent several months OS in 1916 (with obviously less opportunity to stay in touch with events at home than he would have now), and spent a considerable time in 1918-9 there as well.

      Menzies also spent large amounts of time abroad,

      You’re right, though; the country fucntioned perfectly fine while they did so.

    • Kath says:

      09:40am | 07/02/11

      Yes, it must have been hard to be a Minister when there was no planes; or if there were it still took several days to get from one side of the world to the other, with all those refueling stops.

      I mean, how did Doc Evatt actually help set up the United Nations and be President of the General Assembly after World War II?  Oh yes, he was out of the country for months at a time. 

      And what was Billy Hughes thinking attending the Peace Conference in Versailles in 1919!  He was Prime Minister for gawd’s sake. How long was he out of the country?  I mean, what was he doing there in the first place?  We were a Dominion, we were not allowed to breath without Great Britain’s Parliament giving us permission.  Sure, we got the German Territories in New Guinea, but how many votes will that win you in the marginals?  Sheer and utter grandstanding.

    • rufus says:

      09:45am | 07/02/11

      That’s disingenuous, Shane. ‘Back then’ Australia mostly just did whatever it was that the UK wanted, including automatically declaring war, and then putting our troops under British command (Billy Hughes’ efforts at the Paris Peace conference notwithstanding). In 1938-39 Menzies was blindsided both by the nazis and militarist Japan because of his lack of info.

      Although we might be still too eager to follow the US lead in international relations, we do have a better and closer relationship with China, Indonesia and other Asian countries than we ever did ‘back then’.

    • Gregg says:

      09:02am | 07/02/11

      You only have to look at the type of countries he is visiting too, many being the less important and possibly even poorer nations that he can offer hand-outs to for Krudd is surely working the numbers to attempt some UN post.

      I’ve not often corresponded with Krudd but I think I will now to ask if he has pertinent contacts I can email in all the countries he is visiting to let them know that they are not seeing a real Australian, at least not one of healthy mind nor one that the majority of Australians enjoy the thought of his representing us anywhere. 

      And yes, it should be emphasised to these people that this vile scum was off letsetting about whilst his own country was suffering from a number of national disasters while he was selling his own soul.

      Reply

    • Max White says:

      09:07am | 07/02/11

      This was a plan by Jooliar to keep KRudd out of the country. She can’t stand to hear from or look at the little weasel any more than we can.

      Reply

    • Christian Real says:

      09:09am | 07/02/11

      Malcolm farr
      Petty, beat up stories circulated by News. com are becoming a pathetic way of newpapers lately,especially when the Foreign minister Kevin Rudd is only carrying out the job that he is required to do and perform in relation to his portfollio as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
      News.Com papers was not overly concerned when conservative Foreign Affairs Ministers like Alexander Downer flew out on overseas trips in relation to the portfolio that he was assigned to do and carry out.
      Has it only become a problem because it is a Labor MP that is Foreign Affairs Minister and not a liberal MP?, it would seem that this has became the case.
      The media, (News.Com papers) and also the public would be complaining loud and clear if Kevin Rudd was sitting at home not doing his job,and yet when he is doing his job they still have the audacity to complain.
      A more relevent story would be a follow up on how the Liberal party can honestly justify spending $300,000 on Toner cartridges for their offices prior to the last Federal Election.
      This is from the same Political Party whose obnoxious and arrogant Leader Tony Abbott claims that he can find savings in the budget to fund the rebuilding of infastructur in Queensland.
      The Oppositions Minister for Waste, Jamie Briggs does not have to look any further than his own party to see where the waste is occuring.

      Reply

    • Greg says:

      10:58am | 07/02/11

      The public did complain loud and clear when Kevin Rudd was sitting at home and not doing his job. He was no longer the Prime Minister and Labor almost lost the numbers to form government after the election.
      Well done Christian Real for asking a question and then answering it yourself.

    • Jim says:

      11:10am | 07/02/11

      What’s so obnoxious and arrogant about claiming to find savings in the budget? A 5th grader could find savings in the budget.

    • al oakley says:

      09:10am | 07/02/11

      in future the alp will always use kev as a roll model

      Reply

    • Luke says:

      09:12am | 07/02/11

      Wow it certainly cost’s alot of tax payers money to try and keep a sacked PM out of the country.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      09:13am | 07/02/11

      Mal, he’s the foreign minister. He travels.

      Was this an attempt at an article that doesn’t play apologist for the bunch of clowns we currently have in government? Even the casual reader can tell your heart’s not in it.

      You should go back to your Labor cheerleading.

      Reply

    • Adam Diver says:

      12:12pm | 07/02/11

      I can’t stand disingenuous attempts to remain partisan. Its obvious and its pathetic, Tory tried to do the same thing the other day, and being an opinion piece, I don’t know why they would bother it just damages thier journalistic credibility.

    • AdamC says:

      04:51pm | 07/02/11

      Adam Diver, you mean disingenuos attempts not to remain partisan , yeah? I agree, if Mal’s a commentator, why does he have to pretend he isn’t an ALP booster? I mean, he’s running 1 to 4 or so anyway, so what’s the point? And this article was even sadding than its gove-loving predecessors.

    • Martin English says:

      09:17am | 07/02/11

      Its the most expensive long-winded Job Application (for a position at the UN) in Australian history.  And, yes, we’re paying for it.
      Then again, we will be paying for what the ALP is doing to this country for LONG time.

      Reply

    • Dean says:

      09:21am | 07/02/11

      It’s sort of hard to see why this was published, as it’s devoid of any real content.

      NEWS FLASH: Someone doing their job might, possible, potentially become a problem. Perhaps. But it’s not yet. In fact, he’s doing the right thing and not trying to do other people’s job. But still, all that travel. Could become a problem. But it’s not. Yet.

      Reply

    • Flexo says:

      09:24am | 07/02/11

      Kevin Rudd, what a waste of space. What a drain on the taxpayer. Electing him will always be one of our greatest mistakes.

      Reply

    • Grumpy says:

      09:44am | 07/02/11

      Unlike your contribution to society.

    • Flexo says:

      10:45am | 07/02/11

      Good to know that people like grumpy appreciate me and how I contribute to society (a physio in a public hospital). If kevin was only 1/2 the man I am, he would be alright. Sadly I’d settle for kevin to be just 1/2 a man.

    • marrickvillain says:

      09:25am | 07/02/11

      Who’s eyebrows have been raised? Can you quote a single person concerned by this level of travel? Have you done any comparisons on Rudd’s level of travel compared to that of other foreign ministers?
      Until you can answer these basic questions, this will read like biased polemic and I will question your motives for writing it.

      Reply

    • Dean says:

      09:34am | 07/02/11

      Exactly! Some evidence or facts maybe. An angel!

    • Grumpy says:

      09:28am | 07/02/11

      I love how the chinese whispers get thrown around about Kevin Rudd.

      - Because he was helping people in Brisbane when the floods hit he did it for media attention not because he lives there and was affected himself.
      -because he travels alot he is self serving and likes alot of holidays, not because he is foreign minister and it is the main priority of his freakin job.
      -because he is a control freak not because he understands that most people are hopeless and cant do their jobs and need to be told what to do, constantly.

      To a logical person, it sounds like he is just doing his job. God forbid. I guess its easier to bag someone than praise if you are an Australian that is. Tall poppy syndrome is the worst quality Australians posses. Along with racism. Arrogance. Laziness and the arm chair political scientists.

      Reply

    • Grumpy says:

      09:49am | 07/02/11

      Also the Author finishes his article calling Kevin Rudd a self promoter. This comes at the end of an article that he chose to write about the guy…Is there something you’re not telling us Mal? Kevin put you upto it didn’t he? he must of that bloody control freak….who hasn’t he got too now?

    • Greg says:

      10:38am | 07/02/11

      God forbid Grumpy if according to you Kevin Rudd understands that most people are hopeless and cant do their jobs and need to be told what to do, constantly than yes indeed it must be easier to bag someone than praise. God forbid that Kevin Rudd possesses some of the worst qualities Australians possess

    • Teweni says:

      09:40am | 07/02/11

      He’s the foreign minister. There where he should be. Nuff said.

      Reply

    • Ryan says:

      09:50am | 07/02/11

      I guess Kevin doesn’t believe in climate change, or is it that he is so important that he can destroy the environment and the rest of us must pay for it.. I think I just answered my own question, its the Labor way “do as I say not as I do”.

      Reply

    • Helen says:

      09:50am | 07/02/11

      Yes, as others have pointed out, he is doing his job. He’s the F-o-r-e-i-g-n M-i-n-i-s-t-e-r. Look it up. It involves… overseas travel!!!

      Colour me unsurprised, both that Rudd travels overseas and that desperate hacks will try to latch on to anything possible to try and imply that he’s up to something.

      Reply

    • john says:

      10:15am | 07/02/11

      “Colour me unsurprised” we don’t have to…we can already see your wearing rose coloured glasses. By any chance, are you his fresh out of high school receptionist?

    • Helen says:

      02:42pm | 07/02/11

      Well, it seems spelling it out slowly didn’t do the trick. Too many syllables, perhaps…

    • Carly says:

      10:04am | 07/02/11

      So what are you saying? Are you condemning him or cheering him?  Seriously, if you are going to bother going to the trouble of writing something for others to read, at least get to the point.  You said his absence from the different crises that occured didn’t hinder or change anything.  You said that he worked hard whilst away and kept on top of everything.  So what the hell more do you want?  He is the Foreign Minister and from what I can see he is doing a good job of that.  Weren’t there enough potiticians involved at all the major disasters (natural or man made) to take care of things? If his presence is that important then why the hell did he get dumped as Prime Minister?  For pity sake, find something to write about or don’t bother writing.

      Reply

    • Ryan says:

      10:41am | 07/02/11

      What does this have to do with the article? I thought the punch filtered out off topic posts.

    • Greg says:

      10:43am | 07/02/11

      Good to see nossy’s personal obsession with Tony Abbott continues. The predictable daily rant about Tony Abbott that’s completely irrelevant to the topic

    • Aitch B says:

      10:47am | 07/02/11

      @nosthow

      Can you tell me where you get this ‘$1 a week’ bit?

      Is that what everybody will be paying?

    • The Badger says:

      12:27pm | 07/02/11

      Looks Like Hockey is creating points of differentiation to Dr. NO in the lead up to a leadership challenge.

    • Ryan says:

      02:42pm | 07/02/11

      @Aitch B: no, I have yet to get an answer on the comparison between two families earning 100k, one having to pay no flood levy and another having to pay $5 a week.
      The difference being two people earning 50k or one earning 100k and the other not working. The one with the spouse not working does not take benefits in the form of childcare which saves the government around 30k a year and on top of that the family that has only one spouse working pays over 15k more income tax a year.
      This is the fairness we see in Australia today, Labor giving a “fair go” to only one select group of families, the other (earning the same) is classed as “rich” and hence “enemies of the state”. So much for the “mates” tax, one family is clearly not a mate, the one with two income earners and leaning on the government for daycare.

    • nossy says:

      05:55pm | 07/02/11

      @The Badger - spot on Badge - you can smell it coming cant you - like cordite up your nostrils !  hahhhhhhhhhh

    • Thommo says:

      10:15am | 07/02/11

      When one reads about how the politicians spend OUR money, it is a wonder that more people aren’t cheating on their taxes

      Reply

    • Dean says:

      10:28am | 07/02/11

      Tax isn’t really your vote. Your vote is your vote.

    • AussieJazzman says:

      10:34am | 07/02/11

      OK, I’m assuming that if Kevin Rudd did no foreign travel, Mal Farr would write an article along the lines of ‘Lazy Domesticated Foreign Minister’.  In that case, Mr Farr, what is the appropriate level of travel for a Foreign Minister, if the amount that KRudd is currently doing is too much?

      Also, acontextually listing the locations he has travelled to without giving specifics for why he was there comes across as lazy journalism, that could’ve been very quickly rectified with a call to the media office at the Department of Foreign Affairs or, god forbid you actually talk to the man you’ve just done a hatchet job on, Kevin Rudd’s own office.

      Reply

    • Thommo says:

      10:40am | 07/02/11

      Regardless - my vote still goes to a Politician. Apart from Nick Xenophon they’re all teh same - sucking at the public teet, upgrading their offices. Flying first class, having expensive meals on expense accounts etc etc etc. And then when they retire they get a package that us mere mortals can only dream of. The DO NOT CARE about the everyday person.

      Reply

    • Graham The Great says:

      10:57am | 07/02/11

      Time krudd was taken to The Gap in Sydney and pushed off in a hang glider.  Greedy, greedy, greedy, time to flick kevvie 07 for good!  C’mon joolya use your balls and hit hit for six!

      Reply

    • rb says:

      11:19am | 07/02/11

      If any PM should be spending time over seas it’s the ‘Foreign’ minister.

      Reply

    • Louisa says:

      12:07pm | 07/02/11

      ... and you trust him that that position ? Heaven help us

    • rb says:

      12:34pm | 07/02/11

      Cheers for that

    • Mike says:

      11:31am | 07/02/11

      Mal, it up to political journalists (like you) to show some courage and expose this self promoting showpiece for what he is – a self serving pompous globetrotter scabbing off the Australian taxpayers teat!.

      Most of the general public figure Rudd for an angry, attention seeking, control freak that only looks after himself. He has little time for people that cannot progress the efforts and purposes of K. Rudd. Allowing him to continue unabated is the fault of all political journalists (collectively).

      He is a boil that needs to be lanced!

      Reply

    • Brad of Bentleigh says:

      11:51am | 07/02/11

      c’mon, Mike… Mal’s not going to do that… the ALP is his team, he’ll do what he can to help them out. He’ll happily point out any possible flaw in those evil conservatives though. Check Mal’s record, and then think again.
      You’d swear he was Julia’s press secretary, seriously!

    • DG says:

      12:43pm | 07/02/11

      Dear Mr Worldly Jounalist

      Ramallah is in Jordan- so no need to add another place Krudd visited to embellish his travel

      Reply

    • Craig says:

      01:08pm | 07/02/11

      I’m sure that Kevin, as foreign minister, can at least spell “Liechtenstein” properly before rushing ahead and publishing.

      Reply

    • mary monica roche says:

      03:04pm | 07/02/11

      Kevin Rudd is the foreign minister and not the prime minister.

      Reply

    • marley says:

      03:23pm | 07/02/11

      Foreign Ministers travel.  That’s a fact of life (and their job).  The only thing that worries me about Rudd is his reputation for being a loose cannon who makes up policy as he goes along, without necessarily consulting with his own Departmental experts, not to mention the PM.  I’d hate to think he’s out there doing his thing with no control by the government he’s supposed to be representing.  Who knows what sort of promises he’s making or commitments he’s giving that haven’t been cleared by Cabinet.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      05:09pm | 07/02/11

      Everyday KRudd and JGillard are laughing at all the silly Australians that voted them into power and given them loads of money to screw things up for us. Suckers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HaHa smile

      Reply

    • mary monica roche says:

      06:37pm | 07/02/11

      Paul Keating noted PM said that Australia is the Arse End of Earth.
      Lex Luthor said to Superman in the movie Superman 2 that he was going to the end of the earth and that he was going to Australia.
      Ava Gardner said that Melbourne was half the size of New York Cemetery and twice as dead.
      Film Stars,celebrities, singers and entertainers only notice and visit Australia when they are washed up and have had it everywhere else.
      Kevin Rudd will come here when he is washed up everywhere else.

      Reply

    • Chungo Mung says:

      06:58pm | 07/02/11

      Conservatives always cry objectivity and rationalism but they are so emotionally shitty about every policy or ocurrance that does not run concurrent with their own thinking. hilarious. Incidentally, what do people want a foreign affairs minister to do? what a silly and beligerant idea to criticise one, for their time spent engaging with the rest of the world. I’m no Kevin lover, but i saw interesting footage of him with his pants rolled up helping people in his neighbourhood move their belongings to dry ground before the flood peak came through. It seemed pretty genuine to me, it was down the road from his house, and he admitted he was safe from the rising water but wanted to help those that weren’t. No staging, just a camera, an abc journo and him going back and forth as he collected peoples bags and stuff. He’s no saint, but at least he isn’t some miserable, whinging, do nothing, partisan, posting person who contributes way more diatribe than effort.

      Reply

    • David of the Grand Academy of Adelagado. says:

      07:32pm | 07/02/11

      Rudd suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. You can see how perfectly he fits the profile here…
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder
      Heres a little example.. “They love to delegate work, and then interfere by micromanaging it.”

      But more relative to this article I know these personalities also tend to travel a lot because they need constant stimulation and admiration and they have no hesitation in leaving their friends or dependents behind. Narcissists rarely keep jobs for long (because workmates soon come to hate them) but are they are very good at talking themselves into new jobs.

      Reply

    • rockoyster says:

      08:06pm | 07/02/11

      Kevin 707?  You are showing your age Mal. They are up to 777s already and Kev wouldn’t dream of travelling on anything less that a 747-400 these days.  Once the 747-8 is launched there will be no stopping him.

      Reply

    • Christian Real says:

      06:53am | 08/02/11

      I guess Malcolm Farr, that if Alexander Downer was still the Foreign Minister then there would not have been a story such as this printed about him.
      The only reason that this beat up story even got published, is because Kevin Rudd belongs to the Labor party and not Liberal.
      Liike all other Foreign Ministers before him, (whether they were Liberal or Labor) , Kevin Rudd is only doing the job that his portfolio requires him to do.

      Reply
 
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