Comments on: Vanstone and Gus the weimaraner invite Rudd to a sleep over http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/08/vanstone-and-gus-the-weimaraner-invite-rudd-to-a-sleep-over/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: paddy http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/08/vanstone-and-gus-the-weimaraner-invite-rudd-to-a-sleep-over/#comment-30656 paddy Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:57:26 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/08/vanstone-and-gus-the-weimaraner-invite-rudd-to-a-sleep-over/#comment-30656 I want to know when Hugh Wirth is going to step in and demand the release of Gus. The poor creature has been held prisoner in Rome for *months*!! What's worse, I hear he spends uncounted hours bound and gagged, while being taunted by thuggish Roman police. All because he made an innocent (if toothy) enquiry about the strength of Zegna woollen trousers. We can only hope that a newly beatified St Kevin will set him free. I want to know when Hugh Wirth is going to step in and demand the release of Gus.
The poor creature has been held prisoner in Rome for *months*!!

What’s worse, I hear he spends uncounted hours bound and gagged, while being taunted by thuggish Roman police.
All because he made an innocent (if toothy) enquiry about the strength of Zegna woollen trousers.
We can only hope that a newly beatified St Kevin will set him free.

]]> By: kathleen fisher http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/08/vanstone-and-gus-the-weimaraner-invite-rudd-to-a-sleep-over/#comment-30632 kathleen fisher Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:09:56 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/08/vanstone-and-gus-the-weimaraner-invite-rudd-to-a-sleep-over/#comment-30632 I'm sure Vanstone is every bit a waste of ambassadorial space as suggested here, but that doesn't rule out a petulant and spiteful Foreign Affairs having willfully set her up for it (and make themselves the heros in bailing her out). Given the constant communication btwn ambassadors and head office, I find it hard to believe they didnt' know until the last moment that practically nothing had been done to prepare for the visit. FA pride themselves in nannying every last detail of diplomatic activities through shocking levels of hierarchy so how could they have missed this? When you put this in the context of FA having a deserved reputation for operating as though they, not unschooled Ministers, ought to be the decision-makers and that FA officials are actively campaigning to be expanded once again, you can see that an 'incident' like this would be a chance not only to punish Vanstone but to prove to the PM how much they have to carry dead-weight non-professional ambassadors and that they actually do something useful, at least for PM visits. If this is not the case then perhaps FA are just far less competent than I've presumed. I’m sure Vanstone is every bit a waste of ambassadorial space as suggested here, but that doesn’t rule out a petulant and spiteful Foreign Affairs having willfully set her up for it (and make themselves the heros in bailing her out). Given the constant communication btwn ambassadors and head office, I find it hard to believe they didnt’ know until the last moment that practically nothing had been done to prepare for the visit. FA pride themselves in nannying every last detail of diplomatic activities through shocking levels of hierarchy so how could they have missed this? When you put this in the context of FA having a deserved reputation for operating as though they, not unschooled Ministers, ought to be the decision-makers and that FA officials are actively campaigning to be expanded once again, you can see that an ‘incident’ like this would be a chance not only to punish Vanstone but to prove to the PM how much they have to carry dead-weight non-professional ambassadors and that they actually do something useful, at least for PM visits. If this is not the case then perhaps FA are just far less competent than I’ve presumed.

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