Vanstone’s dog puts the bite on Pakistan
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Canberra’s relations with Pakistan are fractious at the best of times, but thanks to the unruly behavior of the dog belonging to her majesty’s Australian Ambassador to Italy, the two countries may never speak again. Amanda Vanstone’s beautiful weimarana, a hound who answers to the name of Gus, doesn’t have the diplomatic aplomb of his mistress and obviously doesn’t like other female ambassadors. Just ask her excellency, Pakistan’s ambassdor to Italy, Ms Tasnim Aslam, who was bitten by Gus when she arrived at Casa Australia to make a recent official call to Ms Vanstone, our gastronomic representative in Rome. According to a cop from the Roman constabulary — who was visiting Melbourne and who Crikey happened upon at a cocktail party — Gus’ behaviour was the subject of a lot of time-wasting and many communications between our embassy, the Pakistani embassy, the Italian foreign office and DFAT. Amanda of course was on Gus’ side — hang the diplomatic niceties — and her main aim was to save the beast’s life, an issue that had hung in the balance. Gus was eventually spared but is now muzzled when anyone but his mistress is present. That’s cold comfort indeed for the Italian cop assigned to Amanda’s “protection” unit and who was bailed up against a tree by Gus in the embassy garden one day. Although not bitten by the brute, he had his uniform torn. We understand the time taken to fix up that incident meant the real diplomatic work of the mission suffered and Amanda’s reports back to DFAT, which in the main extol the virtues or otherwise of the restaurants she patronizes on a regular basis, were later than usual. Our garrulous Roman cop revealed that the main gossip among Rome’s very professional and elegant diplomatic community centred around the doings of our Amanda, which, to put it bluntly, isn’t quite what DFAT wants. |
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17 Comments
Who paid for this dog to be taken overseas and for it’s upkeep?
Why the Govt do not cancell this absurd excuse for a diplomat’s credentials and have her pack her bags is incredulous. The woman is a cot case and stupid to boot. Great advertisment for Oz.
Obviously, the Pakistani Ambassador to Italy is not a Muslim (or the communications would have been “louder”) but how many others visiting dignitaries have been and what offence has been caused by having a dog present during official visits?
Maybe it’s Amanda who should be wearing the muzzle!
Amanda Vanstone, eh? What a waste of space.
Of course we’re appalled the Howard belle from WA now ingratiates herself on the Roman empire to their discomfort….she did it here. Forgive the knows-no-better pooch who gets 10-points for sounding the alarm in time to bring its owner back home. DFAT should be fully ashamed of itself as should Kevin Rudd for keeping Amanda housed and fed on the public purse.
You may find this amusing
Poor old Guss, I would have thought he had enough to Chew on where He lives or survives but then with all the moaning that goes on there He probably wants something new to get his teeth into & who Can Blame Him, He really needs a Good Bone not Fat. but treat Friends as Friends Gus Watch You are not put Down on a Whim or any old Excuse Mate.
Amanda, with a muzzle, playing opposite Alexander Downer, in fishnet stockings. And it is in Italy, so we could set it to something by Giuseppe Verdi … Ohhh, the humanity!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfJyiGmVuo0&feature=related
Crikey!! if Gus does not rate a mention in First Dog on the Moon, we’ll all be very disappointed.
Guffaw @Paddy, the love than dare not bark it’s name.
Anyone seen the Hollowmen episode on this topic? Life imitates art.
And why they can’t bring the Big A back is because it sets a precedent for the similarly crass performers past and future. Don’t you wish Gus another life? The poor little tike is probably desperate for a new home and owner - lonely, starving and bored.
Simply delicious.
The love that dare not bark its name.
As a Liberal MP, Vanstone met the definition of ‘liberal’ better than many of her colleagues. If only the same applied to the word ‘diplomat’.
I believe it’s Weimaraner….
Paddyeeee: That was a shocker! I favour a simple badge saying ‘Us for Gus’. Then send him to meet our foreign head of State and her vicious little Welsh Corgis who bite everyone.
“Amanda Vanstone, eh? What a waste of space.”
I recall being at the launch of the ‘Country Embassy” in Sydney about 8 years ago-an attempt by the Carr NSW government to promote rural NSW. It was launched by Vanstone but not before she toured the ‘embassy’ and declared it a “waste of space” to the then Mayor of Bathurst and a few startled onlookers.
She’s a hypocrit to boot.