"She started with nothing, and put the house on the line 20 years ago to get a sufficient loan from the bank, initially it was a private loan and then she had to put the house on the line later on, in order to build up the business.... So, she started from scratch. Built it up. Good on her. And she’s done that, I’ve got to say, without any help from me, which is probably why she succeeded."

- Therese Rein's husband, 18.9.08 (source: www.pm.gov.au)

Enough about the poverty of political leaders before we get into Monty Python area and start responding to everything with cries of "Loo-xury! Pure loo-xury!"

The Populist Press have been making kilometrage out of the Ruddster's forthcoming trip to the United States, commenting that he has been out of the country more in his first year than John Howard was in his first year. As if JW Howard is a benchmark for good prime ministership. If there is one overseas trip that is important for an Australian Prime Minister wishing to assert our place in the world stage (or indeed marketplace), it is the United Nations General Assembly.

The general session of the 63rd General Assembly will take place next week. It is important that Rudd be there, although I hope he doesn't waste too much time and energy on the push for a UN Security Council seat. The UNSC is a crock in its present format and we have no purpose being a part of it.

Should he be in Federal Parliament instead of strutting the halls at UNHQ, NY? Goodness gracious. Who scheduled parliament to clash with the UN General Assembly, anyway?