Radio Australia Today Editorial

Kevin Rudd: World Stage Strutter.

26 September 2008

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

In fact I thought it rather funny when the Opposition leader here in Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, had a go at Kevin Rudd for going on an overseas trip just as the world financial crisis was happening.

Err. The PM was going to New York, which although not the world’s largest trading stock exchange anymore, is the centre of the financial crisis. In other words, the PM is being ciritcised for a going to New York when there’s a huge problem in New York. Not a great choice of criticism maybe Mr Turnbull. It’s a bit like criticising Paul McCartney for going to one of his own concerts.

The PM had some other important things to do while in the Big Apple. Apart from monitoring the progress of the talks for George Bush’s financial rescue plan, Kevin Rudd was trying to convince world leaders to do more on climate change. After all, climate change will eventually have a much bigger effect on world security than any recession.

But his problem was that world leaders could barely be fit into his schedule. The PM and his foreign minister were so surrounded by celebrities that there was hardly any room for world leaders. There was actor Michael Douglas. There was Bono. There was Bill Gates. There was Muhammad Ali. he even mixed it with a former political hotshot, Henry Kissinger. The PM did manage to squeeze in a photo opportunity with UN boss Ban Ki-Moon in amongst the fun people, having the obligatory shake hands and smile at the camera photo.

It’s good to know though that our prime minister managed to convince Bono on climate change.

– Phil