The Hunt for Red November

So, it appears that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is so affronted - or possibly amused - by Prime Minister Tony Abbott's threat to shirtfront him, that he's brought a few ships from the Russian Navy with him. 

Meanwhile, News Corp's daily press is determined to revive the Cold War - just look at the imagery on its front pages. No-one in Australia this morning, including members of the international media who are here for the G20 this weekend in Brisbane, is in any doubt about the location of a few Russian warships.

More likely, the Russians are taking this rare opportunity to flex their naval muscle in front of the world's media. Putin has a history of muscle flexing, with and without a shirt front, and the presence of Russian warships off the Queensland coast is a handy if ridiculous distraction from the unsatisfactory investigation into the MH17 disaster, and from the Russian troops which are currently pouring across the border into the Ukraine.

As much as Mr Putin might like to draw focus to his military power for all the world to see, and as much as the News Corporation editors have taken the bait, this is not about Australia. 

We are, however, in a position to take advantage of the gift. Our Prime Minister, along with Premier Campbell Newman and Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, can take control of the agenda, undermine any perceived Russian hostility, and create a new paradigm of G20 inclusiveness with a simple invitation to Mr Putin for his troops to visit Brisbane while they're in the area. Come in and enjoy all South East Queensland has to offer. Accommodation is not an issue, as the sailors would sleep on their ships, and the city is geared up as never before to host international visitors. The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coasts are less than an hour from Brisbane, and who wouldn't love an impromptu few days in subtropical Queensland?

And the message that we could send to the world? That Australia is friendly, welcoming and inclusive That Brisbane really is Australia's New World City, as the marketing people like to say...and as an added bonus, the tension between Tony Abbott and Vladimir Putin could be defused with just a few words.

Who knows? If Mr Abbott was to welcome the Russian sailors off the coast of Queensland now, he might just learn now to welcome other people who come to our shores by boat.