I don’t usually read the Herald Sun, but if it’s all that is on offer, like Sunday, I’ll give it a go.

And wasn’t I delighted to read bogan Kate Hands’ pre-conceived take on the 2020 Summit.

“I’ll blog about that” I thought, but the cunning Bridgit beat me to it. So let me take you back in time to see where it all began…

Please note: If you are offended by elitism, don’t read on. Please.

WHEN Kate Hands rang husband Warren to say she had been chosen by the Herald Sun to attend Kevin Rudd’s 2020 Summit, the plumber’s response was a bellow of delight down the phone.

“You little beauty, what a ripper,” he yelled.

Little known fact - he was actually cheering his flatulence.

There was also excitement among work colleagues, who had always ribbed her over her strong opinions about life in the mortgage belt — from high interest rates and poor childcare and education infrastructure, to a lack of public transport and a shortage of facilities for teenagers.

I assume she supports high interest rates, poor childcare and lack of public transport. Good for her.

“I wanted to make sure the views of working people and middle class Australia were heard,” Kate said.

Middle class?

If you say so.

And I lurve the mention of working people, cos, you know, that’s 96% of the population.

And from the Star News Group comes this:

Mrs Hands, 27, believed the Herald Sun editors chose her out of a field of several thousands of willing readers because she’s middle class and has an upfront personality.

There’s that middle class phrase again.

“I think that I’ve got a lot of insight and opinions on quite a few subject matters and that I’m confident and I’m honest,” she said.

I’m simply dying to hear your insight.

“What I went forward with is that I think I represent your average middle class Victoria- I think that’s what they were looking for.”

“What I went forward with this”?

What?

Need I say more?

Whether or not you think the Australia 2020 summit was an awesome idea or a pile of steaming turd (listen to this week’s GrodsThink — broadcast on Tuesday — for the GrodsTeam’s take on the summit and its outcomes) you’d have to agree that the media’s coverage was rather selective. If you read a newspaper this morning you would’ve been confronted with an image on the front page of either Cate Blanchett or Hugh Jackman. Or both.

By the way, did you know that Cate had a baby a few days ago?

Bridgit’s touched on the fact that ordinary punters felt they couldn’t get a word in edgeways…

Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to make sure that you knew that Cate Blanchett had a baby last week and took him along the summit.

Anyway, where was I? Oh that’s right. Here’s a snapshot of the media coverage given to summit participants using Australian newspaper journalists’ favourite research tool (Google):

* There are 713 mentions of Cate Blanchett (did you know she had a baby?) and the 2020 summit on Google News.
* There are 409 of Hugh Jackman and the summit.
* There are…

(Cate Blanchett’s baby, that she had a few days ago and took to the summit, is named Ignatius.)

…386 mentions of Cate Blanchett and Hugh Jackman at the summit.
* There are 267 mentions of Cate Blanchett and Ignatius (that’s her son that she took to the summit).
* There are 176 mentions of Lachlan Murdoch at the summit and he even owns one of the largest media organisations in the country.
* There are 59 mentions of Julia Gillard at the summit and she’s the deputy Prime Minister.

(Just so you know, Cate Blanchett’s new baby is only a few days old and she was still able to go to the summit. And she took the baby.)

* There are 4 mentions of Kate Hands at the summit.

GrodsCorp fun fact: Cate Blanchett — whose job it is to memorise lines of dialogue and recite them while pretending to be another person — gave birth to a son last week and, like, totally stole the show at a giant policy development forum where there were hundred of other people (whose names may not be instantly recognisable) with actual knowledge about things that matter thrashing out the future direction of the country! By the way, did you know that Cate managed to co-chair a working group and take breastfeeding breaks?