If a picture paints a thousand words..

I wish I was like that bloke on TV from "Lie to me". You know the bloke who intently surveys body language to work out what someone is thinking.

I wish I had that talent looking at this classic photo of current prime minister Julia Gillard and former prime minister and now foreign minister Kevin Rudd.

I call it a "classic" photo because it has everything. It could not have been more classic if it were staged.

The white washed "corridor of power". The cold white lights. The cell like look. The two protagonists. The "Fly on the wall", looking on but pretending he is not.

The juxtaposition.

The prime minister has the look of superiority, but more one derived from position rather then inherent power. The foreign minister a look of "if you weren't the boss..."

Everything; arrogance, petulance, tongue biting, pursed lips, fighter's stance.

If this image does not portend a right royal stoush ahead between these two then nothing does.


Picture Courtesy: Daily Telegraph Sydney

Australia's Rudd: Set on being "best" Foreign Minister

The English Telegraph ran the following story today about Kevin Rudd denying aspirations to regain his prime ministerial position. I for one would much prefer to see him back in that position instead of Ms Julia Gillard




"Labor Party figures are reportedly furious that Mr Rudd, who was brutally ousted by his then deputy Miss Gillard in a party-room coup, is giving a series of interviews ahead of the one year anniversary of his dumping.


But asked whether he was plotting a comeback, Mr Rudd, now Australia's foreign minister, said: "I am set on being the best Foreign Minister I can be. But nice try."


Miss Gillard led a party-room coup which removed Rudd in June 2010, and shortly afterwards called national elections in which Labor lost its clear majority and resulted in a hung parliament.

After narrowly scraping back into power by securing the support of several independents and a Greens MP after 17 days of negotiations, Miss Gillard named Mr Rudd as her foreign minister.


Miss Gillard said on Saturday she felt "very secure" in her position, but the nation's first woman prime minister has experienced an unprecedented slump in the polls while Mr Rudd remains popular with the public."