I’ve often said that being the Australian foreign minister is the name dropper’s dream job. Having held the position for nearly 12 years I met many world leaders and a good number of celebrities. I didn’t meet them because of my personality. You know that. I didn’t meet them because they wanted to meet me! Let’s be honest. I met them because it was my job.

But meeting them and talking to them helped me to form a view of people most of us only know through the superficial and hyperbolic lens of the media.