I've always thought Australians care very much about how our country is perceived overseas. There was a time that when a visiting foreign dignitary or celebrity would arrive at an Australian airport and be greeted by reporters' questions 'so what do you think of Australia?' In Sydney it was always 'so have you been on the Harbour yet?'. It was so funny because we were so eager to ask a question which couldn't possibly be answered properly.

One dark view of these kinds of questions was that we felt inferior and needed approval. I never thought it was that. We just loved our country and thought we had something to show the world. It was a wonderful place, we had unbridled enthusiasm and we wanted to share it. So much of this has not changed and we should be glad about that.

John Howard said this week 'I think Australia is a more self-confident country now than it was in 1996. I think it has a greater sense of belief in its own separate identity'. We certainly live in an era where self-esteem and separate identity is valued above all else. You have to wonder how all this ends up. How does this kind of attitude manifest itself?

Does it mean we care less than we used to about what the rest of the world thinks? We are out on a limb on a number of fronts. In the Presidential Debate, John Kerry said only Britain and Australia were in the lead with the US on the invasion. In response, President Bush said 'you forgot Poland'. Australia out on a limb.

There was the United Nations vote objecting to the wall in Israel. We voted against that. It was us, America, Israel and the Federated States of Micronesia. The rest of the world disagreed. Australia out on a limb.

This week, Russia announced it would sign the Kyoto conventions on Climate Change. Think about that. A country infinitely poorer than our own, a producer of fossil fuels, says it will sign Kyoto. Australia will not. We are at one with the US, alone amongst our peers. Australia out on a limb.

If being out on a limb was some kind of dogged independence, it would be interesting. In reality it is dogged dependence. Dependence on the United States.

Is all of this evidence of growing up and increased self-confidence? I'm not sure I can speak for the collective. I feel the same as I always did. Therein lies the gap. I think most Australians care as much as ever what the rest of the world thinks. We want to be part of the community of nations and seek some kind of consensus at least with our broader body of allies. Not just the big one. A huge gap has developed between the Australian people and the government. Such a gap creates a crisis of confidence.

That being the case, I'm hardly surprised that many are going to express a vote of no confidence in the government on October 9. We're a confident people who are not sheep. We make up our own minds about things but you have to at least ask the question 'why are we out on a limb on so many international issues'?

Do we still care what people think of Australia? Are we just as eager to ask that question in 2004 as we were in the past?

I think deep down we are the same people we always were. The best of the true Australian culture, as it has evolved, is quite resilient. Many realise that being out on a limb with a bully, is hardly a sign of confidence. It actually weakens our identity rather than strengthens it. Just because the American administration runs amok doesn't mean we have to. They will find their way again, in the world, as will we. Pity we had to take the trip in the first place though.

Thanks a lot, John!