http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/dfat/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kevin-rudd-master-of-disaster/ So Kevin Rudd reckons he’s a better bet to captain the Brisbane Broncos than run for Prime Minister again. Julia Gillard, who once laughed off her Lodge aspirations by claiming she was more chance to play for the Western Bulldogs, could be forgiven for taking that as a declaration of war.  From earthquakes and tsunamis to violent insurrection in the Middle East, 2011 has borne witness to enormous devastation – which, while tragic for those involved – has certainly enabled Rudd as Foreign Minister to suddenly become more ubiquitous on Australian television than the Daddo brothers.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kevin-rudd-master-of-disaster/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kevin-rudd-master-of-disaster/#item5390 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One step forward, one step back. Elation, tempered by frustration. These are the yin and yang senses in the Gillard camp as the PM flies back to Australia today following what should have been an unqualified triumph: a full White House reception extending to a schools visit, an address to a joint sitting of the US Congress, and meetings with all the key figures including the United Nations, General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon. But for the still new-at-the-job Julia Gillard, struggling to stamp her authority on the prime ministership at home and abroad, Kevin Rudd, the man she displaced last June, remains a fly in the ointment. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-is-still-struggling-to-clip-rudds-wings/ One step forward, one step back. Elation, tempered by frustration. These are the yin and yang senses in the Gillard camp as the PM flies back to Australia today following what should have been an unqualified triumph: a full White House reception extending to a schools visit, an address to a joint sitting of the US Congress, and meetings with all the key figures including the United Nations, General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon. But for the still new-at-the-job Julia Gillard, struggling to stamp her authority on the prime ministership at home and abroad, Kevin Rudd, the man she displaced last June, remains a fly in the ointment. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-is-still-struggling-to-clip-rudds-wings/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-is-still-struggling-to-clip-rudds-wings/#item5359 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One step forward, one step back. Elation, tempered by frustration. These are the yin and yang senses in the Gillard camp as the PM flies back to Australia today following what should have been an unqualified triumph: a full White House reception extending to a schools visit, an address to a joint sitting of the US Congress, and meetings with all the key figures including the United Nations, General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon. But for the still new-at-the-job Julia Gillard, struggling to stamp her authority on the prime ministership at home and abroad, Kevin Rudd, the man she displaced last June, remains a fly in the ointment. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/How-many-asylum-seekers-have-you-met/ How many people who describe asylum seekers as queue jumpers, “illegals” or part of some terrorist conspiracy have ever actually met an asylum seeker, and tried to work out whether it’s true?  Given that we don’t actually have many asylum seekers in Australia, chances are it’s very few. Why not talk to an asylum seeker? Pick one who’s exhausted their appeal, who’s now waiting at Villawood. Ask them why they’re now so desperate, that they go on hunger strikes, or they sew up their lips. Ask them whether they’ve actually had a fair hearing. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/How-many-asylum-seekers-have-you-met/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/How-many-asylum-seekers-have-you-met/#item4871 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One step forward, one step back. Elation, tempered by frustration. These are the yin and yang senses in the Gillard camp as the PM flies back to Australia today following what should have been an unqualified triumph: a full White House reception extending to a schools visit, an address to a joint sitting of the US Congress, and meetings with all the key figures including the United Nations, General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon. But for the still new-at-the-job Julia Gillard, struggling to stamp her authority on the prime ministership at home and abroad, Kevin Rudd, the man she displaced last June, remains a fly in the ointment. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hus-kevin-rudds-biggest-headache-china-arrest/ 餵。我的名字是凱文，我有一個非常大的問題 (Translation: Hello, my name is Kevin and I have a very big problem). Oh how Kevin Rudd must be wishing right now for a dirty stoush with, oh, let’s say Malaysia, or Indonesia, or even better, one of the African nations. How terribly unlucky for the Prime Minister that his first bona fide diplomatic crisis involves China. Our man in Beijing is facing calls to personally intervene in the case of Australian Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu, who’s being held without charge by Chinese authorities on suspicion of commercial espionage. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hus-kevin-rudds-biggest-headache-china-arrest/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hus-kevin-rudds-biggest-headache-china-arrest/#item617 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One step forward, one step back. Elation, tempered by frustration. These are the yin and yang senses in the Gillard camp as the PM flies back to Australia today following what should have been an unqualified triumph: a full White House reception extending to a schools visit, an address to a joint sitting of the US Congress, and meetings with all the key figures including the United Nations, General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon. But for the still new-at-the-job Julia Gillard, struggling to stamp her authority on the prime ministership at home and abroad, Kevin Rudd, the man she displaced last June, remains a fly in the ointment.