Yes Bob Carr was Australia's second most powerful politician for many years and he clearly thinks for himself. All useful selection criteria for a Foreign Minister.

But who is this Julie Bishop? Bronwyn's grandaughter?

Or Madame No?

When Bob Carr took that part time consultancy with Macquarie Bank 2 months after resigning as Premier ,I knew he was for sale like most pollies.

This left and right political sparring is like World Championship Wrestling.We the masses fight over contrived agendas while the elites screw us even more.

This short clip by the comedian George Carlin spells out a cold reality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlzjp_Y3OVM

I wonder if we aren't seeing some succession planning here, with Bob Carr's appointment - in preparation for when Julia decides she's had enough of all the in-fighting, the ego-massaging and the facade-maintenance. After all, a Rudd return is now out of the question, and heaven forbid a Wayne Swan as PM - so a Faulkner or a Carr?.

Behind the scenes wheeling and dealing are obviously very much the name of the game (and who doubts Kevin was promised Foreign Affairs if he stepped aside quietly), so it's not a great stretch for some to envisage BC as a possible Bob Hawke reincarnate?

Anyhow, I've never been too keen on Bob Carr, and it's going to take a lot of smoke and mirrors to gloss away his outspokenness of late in criticism of Rudd/Gillard Labor - but not to worry, things will get a lot more interesting when Julia gains appointment to that position on the UN Security Council that Kevin was so keen on. Don't you think?

Or Dame Julia Gillard, ambassador to the UK or the US? In any event, in the meantime we are in for some interesting debate in the Senate, with BC taking a leading role.

Saltpetre,Julia is to depart the political scene? This has been pre-ordained.

I think Bob Carr is the annointed one,since he is an environmentalist who like Bob Brown believes in "Global Governance" ie a totalitariarn state that needs to save the planet by subjugating the masses.

Whilst the previous personal posts by Sen. Carr will cause him some anxious times as they are revisited by the press and commentariat in the future, it is to our (electorate) benefit that we can see where his adjendas may be coming from and will help us in understanding the background to some of his comming policy positions/decisions, whether we agree or not.
How often have we elected people without as much knowledge of where the person is 'comming from'. With him we will have to deal with less of a 'hidden agenda' than with most others.
I think Saltpetre has his eye on the ball in observing a possible succession planning operation in the back rooms, any adept organization would be doing so. Not such a disastrous plan for the party when observing their possible immediate alternatives post Gillard.
Arjay's comment has a depressing ring of truth about it.

At last a pollie that sees the big picture. He is the patron of population Australia and is au fait with the results of ignoring over population.
We might even hear about in places where it counts.