World in waiting at court of King Kevin

THE sight of 100 ambassadors waiting in line to be greeted by new PM Kevin Rudd at the Lodge has been described as "daft and embarrassing" for Australia.

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THE sight of 100 ambassadors waiting in line outside the Lodge to be greeted by new PM Kevin Rudd has been described as "daft and embarrassing" for Australia.

Moving forward one by one on a chilly winter's day in Canberra, the 100-plus ambassadors were invited for yesterday's informal afternoon tea with Kevin Rudd and wife Therese Rein.

With the world once again at his feet, Mr Rudd declared that his residence was "a working house for the Australian people. This is how we would like to see it in future."

If Canberra's diplomatic corps were bemused by the extraordinary and unprecedented spectacle, they didn't let on, reports The Australian.

Being told that the Cuban ambassador was out of town, the Prime Minister said to his deputy: "Tell him to bring me back some cigars."

Jakarta's ambassador got a big thanks for the success of Mr Rudd's visit to Indonesia last week. "That was a lovely visit. Please tell SBY I appreciated it."

The nation's longest-service foreign minister, Alexander Downer, described the event as "daft and an embarrassment for Australia".
 

Read more of this story in The Australian