Wow. ALP speechwriter...*likes* ALP speech.

Next.

Maxine McKew has gone up to an over 50 percent chance of winning Bennelong according to the bookies - supposedly more reliable than opinion polls.

I wonder what all those Chinese people in Bennelong thought of Rudd's speech?

I can speak enough Chinese to greet someone in Chinese. (I also work in multiple languages so I hope I know when it is proper to use my linguistic skills.) Also my neighbour is Chinese (and a Labor voter) and he informed me that it has been seen as a breach of protocol by his community.
At very least it was unnecessary - and Rudd is far too wordy.
I will cease being wordy.

So no one objects to Stephen Harper speaking French when addressing the Joint Sitting on monday? (Mr. Downer no doubt understood).

This was for domestic consumption, as was Rudd's speach.

Cuacus; It's the Messiah!
K07; I'm not the Messiah.I'm just a mandarin.
Cuacus Only the true Messiah denies his own divinity.
K07; Alright I am the Messiah.
Caucus; Show us a miracle oh holy one,so we may pay homage to your wonderous powers!

So K07 swirls around three times and in a flash is dressed up impeccably as John Howard.

Serfs; We thought you could perform real miracles and rid us totally of the evil IR Lords.

K07; I can't perform miracles.Besides I said that I was the Mess IR and not the one true holy one.

Cuacus; Heretic,hang him,hang him!Look there is one Julia Giltedge.She walks like the messiah and will grant all our wishes.

Julia; I will grant all of your wishes.Do you want to see the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes?

Caucus; Oh yes holy one!

Julia; Well you take the future fund expand the public service and tax the life out of the economy so no one has any work.

Serfs; That's not a miracle!

Julia; Oh yes it is.Jesus just turned less into more,but I can turn much less into nothing.

Caucus; It is the miracle of the semantics.

Serfs; We didn't know she was a Jew.

Caucus; It's a miracle.All hail the Queen of the Semantics.She is the true Messiah!

Communicat said:

'Rudd's use of Chinese was, as someone pointed out in the Advertiser yesterday, an embarrassment to the Chinese. Yes, an embarrassment.'

I would have thought that of greater embarrassment is that Australia's #1 guest of honour, the President of the United States, couldn't even properly remember the NAME of the summit, calling it 'OPEC', and again insulting Australia by saying that he visited the 'Austrian' troops in Iraq.

THAT'S embarrassing. Not someone who has been a diplomat in China for many years addressing them partly in their own language as a welcoming gesture.

HERE is the man that our current Prime Minister offers his undying support for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whhbPVrb5KM

'Oh whinge, whinge, Kevin shouldn't have spoken Chinese' - well Australia's happy to export its coal, iron ore, bauxite, gas, nickel, zinc, wool, etc. etc., and happy to import/buy all the cheaply made products they make in monumental quantities, but now apparently we are unhappy when one of our politicians speaks to the Chinese leader for 30 seconds in public in his own language.

The US President George Bush can't even make a speech properly. And yet the Liberal Party follow him like he's the Pied Piper.