An Asian century maybe, but a lot can happen in 100 years

DINNER last Thursday evening made for one of those rare gilded moments Julia Gillard must wish were more common in judgments of her prime ministership.
In the towering atrium of the National Gallery of Victoria, the soft glow of stained-glass shards illuminating some 200 guests from above, Gillard was praised by a senior businessman for having the courage to introduce the carbon tax. International Monetary Fund chief France's Christine Lagarde beamed down from a large video screen to tell ''dear Julia'' the world was envious of an Australian economy with ''real leadership'', while Imron Cotan, Indonesia's ambassador to China, held a mobile phone aloft to snap souvenir photos as Gillard addressed the crowd.