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Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr has made his second diplomatic gaffe in as many weeks, this time stumbling over the death of a Brazilian student who was tasered by Sydney police.
During an interview last night on the ABC's 7.30 program and fresh from delivering his maiden speech in the Senate, Senator Carr said, when asked about the student's death, that he had just come from a function where ''just now I saw the Brazilian ambassador and I expressed my heartfelt condolences, asked him to pass them onto the parents''.
But it has been widely reported both the student's parents have recently died of cancer and that he was an orphan.
Roberto Laudisio, pictured with a friend, who died after being tasered by police in Sydney. Bob Carr has made his second diplomatic gaffe in as many weeks over the man's death.
Roberto Laudisio, pictured with a friend, who died after being tasered by police in Sydney. Bob Carr has made his second diplomatic gaffe in as many weeks over the man's death.
The stumble was not immediately picked up but opposition spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, said this morning that she found it ''concerning'' Senator Carr was not properly briefed on the ''sensitive matter''.
''I think it is concerning that he has made such a fundamental error on such a sensitive matter,'' Ms Bishop said. ''I would completely understand if the family members were offended.
''I am urging Senator Carr to spend more time quietly behind the scenes getting on top of the portfolio which can be a complex and arduous job and less time rehearsing his political one liners.
''Senator Carr needs to quickly grasp he is the primary custodian of Australia's international reputation and he needs to perform accordingly.''
Assistant treasurer David Bradbury came to the defence of the Foreign Affairs Minister this morning saying that the epsiode was "unfortunate" and that "sometimes mistakes happen in politics".
Liberal Senator Eric Abetz took a softer approach when asked about the wisdom of the words of his Upper House rival.
''In fairness, all of us in public life make mistakes from time to time,'' Senator Abetz siad.
''This one was a particularly unfortunate one, given that the victim was an orphan.
''I suppose what it teaches all of us is that we should ensure that we are as well briefed as possible, but the day I stop making those sort of mistakes will be the day that I'll be highly critical of Senator Bob Carr.
''It is something that can happen to anybody and what I would simply say is that let's not play too much politics with that which is clearly a tragedy and an unfortunate incident.''
Last week, Senator Carr was forced into a humiliating backdown from his threat to impose sanctions on Papua New Guinea if the politically troubled country's midyear elections were cancelled.
The Labor senator's comments sparked a diplomatic incident and elicited a furious reaction from Papua New Guinea's top diplomat in Australia, Charles Lepani.
Senator Carr said at the time his PNG comments had been ''misunderstood and used out of context''.
But he simplified his rationing last night saying of the incident, ''It was a mistake and I've learned a lesson''.
The Brazilian student was 21-year-old Roberto Laudisio who has been living in Sydney since late last year.
Mr Laudisio was fleeing a team of six police on a central Sydney street before being hit several times with the Taser.
It has been reported Mr Laudisio was ordered to surrender to police after he emerged from a convenience store having allegedly stolen a packet of biscuits.
The case has sparked an outcry over the use of Tasers, with the NSW Council for Civil Liberties calling for an immediate suspension on the weapon's use pending the police investigation into Mr Laudisio's death.