A media scrum, autograph hunters and a standing ovation, that was what greeted Foreign Minister and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd when he came to Tweed Heads last week.
At the invitation of Federal Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot, the Labor Party heavy-hitter addressed a group of more than 200 people at the St Joseph College school hall late last week.
The meeting came just after the news had broken of the arrest of an Australian teenager in Bali with Mr Rudd choosing to hold an impromptu press conference for the gathered media. The conference, held in the grounds of the local Catholic College at Banora Point, came after Mr Rudd’s seminar on the importance of Australia and Australians providing foreign aid for countries in need across the world.
While the seminar was the main focus of Mr Rudd’s trip – he also spent some time out and about with local member Justine Elliot meeting local residents at shopping centres.
And what was the major concern for Tweed voters during the visit?
“People have been very kind and welcoming,” Mr Rudd laughed.
“But the big issue here, raised to both Justine and I, because of the nature of the community, has been the high-speed broadband.”
