Howard laughs off axe-wielding comedian
Australian Prime Minister John Howard laughed off a prank today when a comedian wielding a fake axe interrupted his daily morning walk.
Comedian Craig Reucassel was making fun of a security furore that erupted last week when the prime minister was given a birthday hug during his exercise regime by a teen who had forgotten he was clutching a screwdriver. The tool apparently did not touch Howard.
Howard rejected media reports of a security breach and invited people to hug him when he was in public.
Reucassel, part of a team of satirists that appears on a weekly television programme, was closely watched by Howard’s bodyguards as he took up the invitation in the Queensland state city of Gold Coast, raising an oversize replica battle axe.
Television cameras showed a smiling Howard reacting with humour and embracing Reucassel briefly before striding off.
Howard, 67, announced this week he will be seeking a fifth three-year term as prime minister at elections next year, ending months of speculation that he might step down to let his ambitious party deputy Peter Costello take over.
