Oz politics continues to deliver

If you like stock-car racing, it’s the politics for you. The Australian reports that “Julia Gillard's cabinet ministers have defended her decision to appoint former NSW Premier Bob Carr to the role of foreign minister”. Indeed they have. Let’s see how health minister Tanya Plibersek defends the decision:

Commenting on reports that Mr Carr had called the Dalai Lama a “cunning monk” in his blog, Thoughtlines, Ms Plibersek said it was unhelpful to trawl through all of Mr Carr’s former comments on foreign affairs.

“I know that the comment you are referring to is one where our future foreign minister Bob Carr has suggested that parliamentarians shouldn’t meet with the Dalai Lama, Ms Plibersek said.

“We disagree on that, but I don’t think its particularly productive to go back over every single thing he has written in Thoughtlines and say yes or no do you agree, is this Labor policy?”

She defended the incoming minister, who is understood to have made a number of controversial comments, including criticising US President Barack Obama and the humanitarian intervention in Libya.

“I think it’s just fantastic that we have a new senator and a new foreign minister who is such an intelligent man,” she said.

“I am absolutely thrilled that we have a real thinker who is on the record with a variety of very interesting positions,” she said.

 “A variety of interesting positions” must be the euphemism of the week.