Charge the PM with treason?

But Tony wasn't having any of it and spoke up on behalf of the USA.

" What about espionage, which of course, is the charge the United States would like to lay at the feet of Julian Assange, " he queried.

So now I'm thinking Mary Magdalene. But Julia ain't. She's thinking pincer movements.

"Mr Assange hasn't been charged with anything relating to WikiLeaks........He's got some legal issues relating to personal conduct questions - alleged personal conduct questions in Sweden - and no-one in the United States raised with me, Mr Assange. No-one." I'm thinking Lazarus and Jesus, bejeezus.

But hang on Big Julie. One minute you say you don't know nuttin' and the next thing - you profess to know everything.

And thus it went. Except the next morning the sun arose to a wall of outrage from some sections of the media and politicians asserting Tony Jones and Q and A had ' ambushed ' the Prime Minister by 'setting her up' and having Assange call in. Bollocks.

The fact that any Prime Minister or President for that matter would be rendered insensible by appearing on a television show whose very id is based on taking audience and online questions, is laughable. Is the Prime Minister really incapable of taking a question without notice from one of her citizens, albeit one who wears a tracking device and is under house arrest in a foreign country ?

For a start, why weren't Julia's minders on the ball ? After all, when former Prime Minister John Howard, Dubya's old best friend in the Coalition of the Killing, was on the same show last year spruiking his autobiography ( don't they all ) not only did an audience member chuck his shoe at Howard ( remind you of something ?) but Gitmo survivor David Hicks called in via videolink to ask Howard a question.

I don't recall Howard instigating supporters to bleat public outrage on his behalf. Nor do I recall a particularly virulent level of media criticism directed at Q and A. To mix metaphors, even though the shoe didn't fit, Howard wore it. If Gillard can't stand the heat, then I suggest she get back into the kitchen cabinet.

Tess Lawrence is a journalist advocate and specialist in ethical media services and crisis management and contributing editor at large for Independent Australia. Extended versions of this article have been published on Independent Australia and Truthout. This update has also been posted on Independent Australia.