Julia Gillard says Australia's successful bid for a seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council is a tribute to the country's international reputation, praising Kevin Rudd's "foresight" for launching the campaign.

Australia received 140 votes in the first round of the ballot at UN headquarters in New York overnight, giving it a comfortable win over competitors Luxembourg and Finland.

It will take up a seat at the UN's top governing body in January for a period of two years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-19/gillard-praises-rudd-over-un-seat-win/4322810

"It's the world saying 'we see Australia as a good country, a fine global citizen'."

He said the right to sit in the UN executive would not mean extra expense.

"If Tony Abbott says that spending money to promote this country ... is a waste of money, then I'm afraid he hasn't got the breadth of vision to be prime minister of Australia," Mr Carr told ABC TV this morning.

"His notions of retreating to the Anglosphere ... is I think a pretty diminished vision for someone who would want to be prime minister of this serious, global citizen."

"It was a modest amount to pay for us to get the endorsement of 140 countries out of 193," Senator Carr told the Seven Network earlier.

Ms Gillard said she was disappointed by the opposition's reaction to the seat victory.

http://www.news.com.au/national/australia-wins-seat-on-united-nations-security-council/story-fncynjr2-1226498925124

Abbott is further back in the learning process, although he started with more natural interest and knowledge in the area. From what we have seen he is anything but a natural diplomat. Yesterday he displayed ignorance about how lobbying for Security Council seats is played out when he said: "Let's face it, the competition is Finland and Luxembourg and if Australia can't come first or second in a three-horse race involving Finland and Luxembourg there's something wrong with us."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/pm-abbott-on-a-steep-foreign-learning-curve-20121018-27ttm.html#ixzz29jGMvNH7

Gus: Abbott is no diplomatic genius... nor is he clever with any other subjects... For example challenging the Labor government to give the same amount of money he's pledged for the demolition of Parramatta Road is LUNACY... This Nick Greiner stupid plan is only there to line the pockets of the companies he's a director of, including tunnel companies I have been told... But even if Greiner got nothing out of the project, the plan for the WestCONnex digging Parramatta Road is crazy at the least... and totally moronic at worse...

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/life/satire/un-security-council-reaction/