Kevin Rudd travelled to Mackay in North Queensland yesterday to announce a spending initiative for sugar cane growers. It  just so happened a giant piece of sugar cane farming machinery was nearby. This wasn’t a coincidence – it had been planted there by the Rudd team on purpose. 

The machine in question.

Rudd eyes off the machine.

Never one to resist a good novelty TV opportunity, Rudd climbs in. The photographers and TV crews, as expected, go wild.

The driver and Rudd line up the sugar cane. 

And then they get to work. Photographers and TV crews risk life and limb to get close-up shots of the action. 

Now that’s how you stage a novelty TV event. Good stuff Rudd.