g20 and gillard may be being misreported

ABC Online...
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has dismissed reports that she was criticised by the head of the European Commission for her comments at the G20 summit in Mexico.

Ms Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan wrote to world leaders ahead of this week's summit, urging them to take lessons from Australia on how to manage an economy.

Earlier today, Jose Manuel Barroso said he was tired of being lectured by G20 leaders and urged the international community to be patient as the region tackles its debt crisis.

"We are not coming here to receive lessons in terms of democracy or in terms of how to handle the economy," he told reporters.

"By the way, this crisis was not originated in Europe.

"This crisis originated in North America and much of our financial sector was contaminated by, how can I put it, unorthodox practices, from some sectors of the financial market."

Ms Gillard says irritation expressed by Mr Barroso has nothing to do with her.

"I had a conversation with president Barroso today and advised him that he was running strongly in the Australian media. That came as a complete surprise to him given he hadn't had anything to say about Australia," she said.

She says his comments were clearly directed at North America.

"President Barroso is amused at the suggestion that anything he said anywhere would be reported in the Australian media as about Australia," she said.

"We were laughing about it earlier today so he's obviously crystal clear about that in his own mind.

"What I have done in the lead-up to the G20 - both in the letter I co-authored with president Lee of South Korea, in the remarks I made yesterday at the B20 - is I have acknowledged the work that Europe has done.

"Things have been done in the euro zone which have made a difference - there has been action on banks, there has also been by individual countries action on structural reform.

"But it is clear that more needs to be done and it's in Australia's national interest that more be done.

"It's in our national interest to have the most resilient and strongest global economy that we can.

"At a meeting like this, where leaders come together to talk about the global economy in a grouping that was born out of the global financial crisis, after the events in Greece and Spain and 10 days before a major meeting in Europe, I don't think it's going to come as any surprise to anyone that people are here talking about events in the euro zone, me included and many other leaders."

The leaders will agree on a communiqué tomorrow, but a leaked draft suggests it wont necessarily be more than a roadmap.

Dave R.