Writing Boots

On communication, professional and otherwise.

Aussie prime minister refuses to say “billion”

05.27.2009 by David Murray // Leave a Comment

My faithful and funny Australian communication correspondent and golf mate Rodney Gray—I can't mention him without boasting that he and I once played together on a course outside Sydney that was teeming with kangaroos—has a gem for us.

Newish Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd and his treasurer are being forced these days to talk a lot about a national budget deficit projected to be $300 billion.

Kevin-rudd-wayne-swan-2009-2-3-0-33-48 Except, Gray says and the Australian Associated Press confirms, they won't say "billion," because if they say only "300," their political opponents can't make ads quoting them as saying "$300 billion."

    Mr. Rudd said debt would peak at "around about 200, our gross debt at about 300" in 2013-14.
    Asked to explain 200 or 300 of what, Mr. Rudd responded: "These are billion figures."
    Journalists had to add the "billion" in parentheses.

Australian journalist Annabel Crabb reacted, "I don't know if I've ever seen anything so awfully, skin-crawlingly, knuckle-bitingly embarrassing …."

Bootsters, I bet you have. Let's hear it.

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