Travel tips

LET'S hope the protocol experts in Canberra have given Julia Gillard and First Bloke Tim Mathieson a careful briefing for their big trip to Japan, South Korea, China and London.

LET'S hope the protocol experts in Canberra have given Julia Gillard and First Bloke Tim Mathieson a careful briefing for their big trip to Japan, South Korea, China and London.

It's a potential minefield. Gillard must curb her propensity to point her index finger, but Mathieson is on untravelled ground. Does he know how to greet the Emperor and Empress of Japan, for example? How low should he bow? Should he air-kiss the Empress? So long as he keeps smiling in China, he should be right. The fact that the couple are not married apparently meant that Mathieson did not meet Michelle Obama as is the custom for leaders' spouses. It shouldn't affect their appearance at the royal wedding because the British are relaxed about such matters, but it could be a different matter if they both drop in on Queen Elizabeth. Meanwhile, everyone in England is in a lather about Kate Middleton's dress, which they expect to be a symbol of her personality, her style and what kind of queen she will be. No pressure, then.

No slurs intended

ACCORDING to Bruce Guthrie, former editor of The Age, Herald Sun, The Weekend Australian Magazine and celeb-obsessed Who Weekly, "tabloids feel, broadsheets think". Indeed broadsheets "want to make their readers think", Guthrie told Sydney local ABC radio host Deborah Cameron yesterday. Cameron had been asking about "slurs" published about independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Rob Oakeshott and the slurring of Aboriginal woman Bess Price by another Aboriginal woman Larissa Behrendt on Twitter, a story that has been covered in detail by The Australian but totally ignored by Cameron's former employer The Sydney Morning Herald. Why? The only explanation we can think of is that the story reflects badly on Behrendt, an inner-city leftie possibly held in esteem at the SMH. Behrendt tweeted the slur of the century, a slur so vile we won't repeat it, but if you haven't been reading The Australian you wouldn't know about it.

Making the News

CAMERON asked Guthrie whether editors use their pages to settle scores. "Absolutely" Guthrie affirmed and noted that in the Behrendt story, she had given News Limited a free kick. In Strewth's opinion, Behrendt has also conceded a series of 50m penalties. If you take on one News Limited paper, Guthrie said, "you take them all on". And he said News Limited papers (The Australian is one of them) "think the same way" which rather contradicts his earlier assertion that broadsheets want to make their readers think.

Count on our rowers

NUMBERS were never one of Strewth's rowing correspondent's strong suits at school, but even he was dumbfounded when the list of prospective paddlers listed for team processing at Penrith today for the London Olympics crossed his desk. In checking the Team Processing Data Capture Sheet, he learned of one Olympia Aldersey, a silver medallist at the youth games in Singapore and a contender for a seat in the Australian women's coxless four, was listed as being born on the 62nd of July, 1992. But she's well named for the task ahead.

Plumbing depths

IT'S the season of budgets across Australia and tenders are out to find the most dysfunctional parliament. Word is the highest bidder to date is Victoria, where Speaker Ken Smith's control of proceedings is looking a bit shaky. Smith is a top fellow but his colleagues are making his life difficult. The former plumber's chamber is in open revolt and his Coalition mates are worn down by the racket. Visitors to the public gallery have complained and Smith is refusing to listen to Labor claims he is biased.

Chas still waiting

FEELING sorry for Prince Charles? Despite his pampered life, albeit with the odd embarrassing hiccup, the poor fellow has set a mark he may not want entered in the Guinness Book of Records. After 59 years, two months and 14 days, he has become the longest serving heir to the throne in British history. He has overtaken the record set by his great-great grandfather King Edward VII. Chas, 62, was three when he became heir.

Wrong number

THE bureaucrats at the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority thought they had found another way to put aside common sense and indulge in politically correct gormlessness. Newcastle lawyer Kristen Perry has a nickname since childhood, Kiki. Five years ago her husband gave her personalised numberplates for her BMW: KIKI. But at the RTA, this harmless set of letters was deemed offensive and the authority wanted them removed. The RTA said the name means vagina in the Filipino language, Tagalog. Not that we would query the RTA's knowledge of obscure languages, but sane people might wonder where the harm lies, irrespective of its meaning in Tagalog. Yesterday, the RTA relented and said Perry can keep her numberplates. Hasn't the RTA got some roads to fix?

Graeme Leech