A Crikey tipster writes: A DFAT legal adviser told us the current case of Mr Hu is being compromised by ill informed megaphone behaviour of the Opposition leaders.
DFAT
Tips and rumours: DFAT wants Turnbull and Bishop to butt out?
Hu and 420 others: Aussies on the beermat
As the PM issues soundbites over China’s detention of Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu, Crikey thought it pertinent to cast an eye over other, less prominent, Australians languishing in overseas gulags.
Rudd’s Asia-Pacific Community DOA
Rudd himself has argued that Australia must pursue “middle-power diplomacy”. Hopefully at some point he’ll accept the logic of that himself and stop trying to change the world single-handedly, writes Bernard Keane.
Diplomatic protocol trashed by the PM’s young Turks
The ‘G20” phone call never would have happened if the PM had followed protocol, writes Barry Everingham.
All the Queen’s men: life after Dauth in DFAT
For Aussie diplomat John Dauth, the wheel of career fortune has turned full cirlce, writes a Special Correspondent.
Razor gang has DFAT under the pump
While the PM earns plaudits for his performance on the world stage, a grumpy Department of Foreign Affairs is implementing both a $57m cut and a new departmental review, writes Bernard Keane.
Australian Embassy staff turn bolshie in Paris
The commemoration of Anzac Day in Paris this year looks set to be disrupted by industrial action at the Australian Embassy, writes Bernard Keane.
Amanda gives Rome a makeover
We now know why Amanda Vanstone has been dilatory in doing what what she’s basically paid for - she’s been too busy replacing the traces of class and flair created by the wife of her predecessor, Tanya Woolcott, writes Barry Everingham.
Rio takeover is great for Australia
Analysts are already estimating synergies of up to $5 billion from a BHP-Rio merger and plenty of those would come from closing Rio Tinto’s extravagant London head office and running the entire $500 billion empire out of BHP-Billiton’s Lonsdale Street head office in Melbourne, writes Stephen Mayne.
DFAT in damage control after Downer ‘blackmails’ Japan
The normally unflappable diplomats in the Japanese Embassy in Canberra are enraged by yesterday’s outburst by Foreign Minister Downer criticizing Tokyo for withdrawing support for the so called war on terror, writes Barry Everingham.
Tips and rumours
Overheard at Fairfax. A couple of the political reporters talking about the ACNielsen Poll that will be published tomorrow on the election. They were saying that Rudd would be very happy with the outcome, and the Labor primary vote has gone up!
A colleague had a day trip from Sydney to Melbourne on Monday. His 0730 Qantas flight out […]
Election? He might as well reign until December
Will the PM push the button for a poll this weekend? I’ve spoken to a range of senior Liberals from ministers down over the past 24 hours. Their response, put colloquially, has been “Search me, guv”, writes Christian Kerr.
Tips and rumours
By pure chance I spoke to two different senior commonwealth public servants yesterday in Canberra, who work in different departments, both of whom without prompting complained at length about how bored they are at work because there is simply nothing to do. One of these people is on 6 figures, the other close. One even […]
Why Rio Tinto should demerge its Australian iron ore business
Rio Tinto’s excessive $US44 billion purchase of Canadian company Alcan has pushed debt so high that potential asset sales are being identified to help pay back the banks. A de-merger of the Australian iron-ore business would be the best way to go, writes Stephen Mayne.
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Tips and rumours
Glenn Milne got his gay smears documents from the Prime Minister’s press secretary Tony O’Leary, who was hawking it about as an example of “Labor dirt”. Doesn’t he know about the behaviour of the religious right in his boss’ own division of the Liberals?
Sighted campaigning in Bennelong at Coxs’ Rd North Ryde Saturday 22 September […]
Hyacinth and Howard no speakies after Laura’s no-show
Our DFAT mole has reported that things in Canberra got very nasty last week when the spotlight was turned on our Second Lady and Lord Downer of Bagdad and Kabul following the American First Lady’s call to Janette saying she wouldn’t be coming’ down.
