@Cronus: You claim “All denied Carr was being considered for the post up until it occurred; that included Gillard and Carr.”

Are you sure? When? Where?

I don't think this is true, Cronus. The news that Gillard had asked Carr to be Foreign Minister was reported by Phillip Coorey in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday 28th. No-one denied Gillard had asked Carr because it was accurate. Bob Carr confirmed it.

But Carr also added that he wasn't pursuing the position - which is not to say he wouldn't accept if pressed.

But the story on the front page of The Australian the next day – Wednesday 29th – claiming Julia had been forced to withdraw her offer to Bob Carr was totally false. Or, as Gillard said, “completely untrue”.

As for Julie Bishop, this is the question she asked in Parliament on Wednesday of last week:

Ms JULIE BISHOP (Curtin—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:45): My question is to the Prime Minister ...
Doesn't the veto of her choice of Bob Carr as foreign minister by the faceless men of the caucus simply prove that the resources minister is right?

What veto of Bob Carr as foreign minister?

This woman has no idea. Just completely out of touch with reality. Not a clue.

For her to be advising the Government in this forum is just embarrassing.

So Sarnian Bob Carr is a Patron of Population Australia? Aust is not over populated.This is the agenda driving this New World Order.They have to save the planet by enslaving everyone.

With sperm counts down by 40% in Israel mainly due to depleted uranium and other suspected nuke weapons used by the USA in the Middle East + Fukushima and more wars on the horizon, our genetic viability is in question.Caesium and Strontium remain in our bodies for decades bombarding our genetic structure causing perminent genetic flaws that the next generation suffer.

Alan Austin,

"What veto of Bob Carr as foreign minister?"

Maybe Julie Bishop asked the wrong question. (Not that any question could really get at the truth of the matter - maybe all will be revealed in 2015?)

So, Julia got her own way (I suspect) on Bob Carr's appointment, but all the cloak and dagger indicated in the press coverage (of it's on, it's off) is indicative of teething problems, of power struggle. Understandable of course, but Julia's glib response does nothing to dispell the smell of more behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing to maintain Julia's hold on the reins.

Credit to Julia - she has stamina. But, for how long can she hold the war dogs at bay?

Arjay: I was referring to the World population, which has just reached 7 billion and is rapidly increasing all the time. With peak oil here now and peak everything not far off we will have no choice about reducing our population, just whether we do it or the environment does it for us….. Painfully.
Bob has spoken about this and sees the big picture not just the little squabbles in Canberra.

To recite lies and believe them in parliament is a serious offense.
I say the paper had outside help in coming up with a script of lies.
What did the appointment of Mr Carr have to do with the opposition, in a way to question how the process was conducted.
A process of muckraking from the opposition, this is all they are interested in.

Bob Carr is a rightwing fan of the USA, like the Judas who resigned so Carr could take his place, and we will find our widebrownland filled with ever more US Marines with their Bible bashing chaplains crashing around ever ready to save us from the Muslim hordes they so hate.

Thanks for nothing Bob.

But, he has one redeeming feature.

It was Carr who said Gillard was mad to fund school chaplains, and he is spot on there.

So, will we see the only ALP politicians to have the strength to stand up and rid our schools of this horrible scourge?

Doubtful, like all politicians he has a double sided face and will go strangely silent on this.

In fact, being a complete 'team member' we can fully expect to see Bob Carr telling us all how good chaplains are.

As for Julie Bishop, there's not much she can say bad about Carr really, since he will push a near identical FP as would the Abbott crew, if they get a chance, which will just involve more bowing and scraping to the US- which is all Australia ever does anyway.