Audrey Young today suggests that Helen Clark's meeting tonight with the Australian Deputy PM will be an interesting one. She suggests that relations are not what they should be, and that the fault is not on this side of the Tasman
But despite being the closest of neighbours, in sister parties, and with DFAT and MFAT working closely, no reference was made to her by Rudd about his grand idea for an EU-style expansion of the region and dispatching an envoy to capitals to push idea.
Either he consulted other countries, but not her, or he consulted no one, which is plain stupid.
According to the tipsheet Transman Clark was not consulted and has been talking about the Rudd Plan through ''gritted teeth.''
It is not hard to see why. Rudd is six months into his job and hasn't attended a single big regional meeting (East Asia Summit, Apec) and he is offering everyone else his ''vision'' about where to go.
He was apparently pushing the same idea when he was a DFAT officer.
Leadership for Kevin in 08 is not about being able to recognise a good idea or a good policy - anyone can do that - it is knowing how to turn it into reality - of knowing who your friends are.
