I wish Prime Minister Rudd would buy a thesaurus. I am so utterly sick of hearing the word “robust” which was done to death during the election and now is being adopted by other politicians as well, including his deputy, Julia Gillard. Hearing it makes me feel as if every nerve in my body has been zapped. Rudd has robust discussions, robust arguments, robust investigations, robust breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Good old Peter Mark Roget offers several alternatives for Rudd’s favourite adjective. Among them are “stout”, “sturdy”, “hardy”, “rugged”, “burly”, “brawny”, “muscular,”, not to mention, “Herculean” and “Titanic” These descriptions don’t spring readily to mind when one thinks of Kevin Rudd, do they? Unless one is referring to his ego, that is.

Our Prime Minister is probably using robust to mean vigorous and lively, as in “we had a lively discussion.” That implies, of course, that there were two parties involved in the discussion, exchanging views and making suggestions to the other. A dialogue, in other words.

Now that’s very unlikely.

I doubt that there has ever been a genuinely ROBUST discussion on both sides since Rudd is known to be a control freak who brooks no opposition. So perhaps “robust” is being used in a novel Rudd connotation. “I told them what I thought. I told them what to do. They saluted and said “Aye aye sir!” and the robust discussion was over.”

Give us a break please. And while you are at it do not mention “the bottom line” ever again either. Enough already…