Visit from PM

A Prime Minister visits Japan with her Partner...at first I thought she's Lesbian till I saw the name of the partner...lol. I must be old-fashioned and conservative. I've never come across Prime Ministers living together (unmarried).

On the face of it she may be showing concern. However, Japan has been hit under the belt, so using this opportunity, the PM (her entourage) will push for an open economic Trade agreement for the Pacific in this visit. Let the game of chess begin!

Japanese babies are the cutest!

123chachacha. You seem to be adopting a cynical attitude to PM Gillard's visit. Australia has made no secret that it seeks a free trade agreement with Japan which would be good for the majority of both countries. The greatest good for the greatest number, as it were. I don't imagine you can find a country that is more direct and open than Australia. The main impact of her visit must be to lend moral support to the people of Japan in a crisis and to suggest Australia would seek to exploit it, please let us all know how? She is doing what any decent person would do. Why spoil it! The baby will treasure that photo when it is older, as will the family. Good luck to it!

I have little doubt that some Japanese will, at first glance, think that Tim is PM, accompanied by his wife Gillard . All is forgiven, haha.

"at first I thought she's Lesbian till I saw the name of the partner.."

I doubt they are actually shacking up together - it's just a pretentious show of her so-called liberation. She's probably also dead set against gay marriage (just the cynic in me...:)).

What business are she and her "partner" in?

Wow - lots of religious (American) conservatives on here. Yes - it is possible to have a female leader. Yes - it is possible for leaders not to be married.

Some of my best friends in Australia, those with the most solid relationships, are not married. Been together for almost 20 years some of them. Good luck to Julia - a PM shaking up the conservatives and their traditional, boring "family values". All power to her! Proud to have her as my PM.

On the face of it she may be showing concern. However, Japan has been hit under the belt, so using this opportunity, the PM (her entourage) will push for an open economic Trade agreement for the Pacific in this visit. Let the game of chess begin!

123chachacha - what a negative comment from a negative poster.

I must be old-fashioned and conservative.

Seesaw - Yes. Probably very old too.

what a negative comment from a negative poster.

Yeah, like you don't know how politics work.

what a negative comment from a negative poster.

The irony of your post is obviously lost on you.

The religous conservatives will take another knock when they hear that Julia is a devout athiest.

I wonder what her partner thinks about all this. He's just a hairdresser, and now he's jetting around the world with Priiiiiime Ministaaaa Gillard.

Didn't she start talking recently about how Australians need to understand the word of God, the Bible and Bible stories ? What a blowhard. Must show how really desperate she has now become.

The irony of your post is obviously lost on you.

Not at all. Just fed up with people who are always on the attack - even in a humanitarian situation like this they will find a way to insult people.

Not at all. Just fed up with people who are always on the attack - even in a humanitarian situation like this they will find a way to insult people.

I'm not attacking the humanitarian situation, just the woman herself.