Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Thursday insisted Indonesia’s president was not offended after reports that an MP fell asleep during a landmark parliamentary address.
Rudd said he did not know whether opposition lawmaker Peter Slipper dozed off during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s 40-minute speech, but said visiting leaders deserved “appropriate respect.”
“Knowing SBY pretty well, I’m sure he didn’t take offence at someone nodding off,” Rudd told reporters, referring to the president by his initials.
“But I think it’s very important that when we have important addresses by visiting heads of government that they are treated with appropriate respect.”
Slipper has denied sleeping during the address after being photographed with his eyes closed and attracting real-time Twitter comments from journalists in the press gallery.
“I thought it was a great speech,” he told the Sunshine Coast Daily. “I did not sleep. I’m not saying that I didn’t close my eyes. If I’d known there was a camera, I wouldn’t have closed my eyes.”
US President Barack Obama is also due to address parliament this month, a rare honor given to only a handful of foreign leaders.(AFP)
印尼總統在澳洲國會發表指標性演說時，有議員中途打瞌睡的消息經媒體披露後，澳洲總理陸克文上週四堅持表示，此舉稱不上冒犯。
陸克文說他不清楚反對黨議員彼得•史利波是否在蘇西洛•班邦•尤荷由諾總統四十分鐘的演說途中打瞌睡，但表示應給予來訪領袖「適當的尊重」。
陸克文對記者表示，「我和SBY（蘇西洛英文姓名首字母縮寫）很熟，我知道他絕不會為了誰打瞌睡這種事動怒」。
「但我認為，來訪元首發表重要演說時給予適當尊重極為重要。」
旁聽席上的記者捕捉到史利波閉目養神的糗態後，隨即在推特上發表評論。史利波事後已出面否認自己在演說中睡著。
他向《陽光海岸報》表示：「我認為那是場很棒的演說。我不否認我有閉上眼睛，但我並沒有睡著。如果知道有攝影機在拍，我就不會闔上眼了。」
美國總統巴拉克•歐巴馬本月也將赴澳洲國會發表演說，這是少數外國領袖才享有的極尊榮待遇。 （法新社╱翻譯：林倩如）
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