It’s not just pollies who are catching
World Cup Fever. Austrade has a very bad case. This media release is rolling off faxes
around the country today:

WORLD CUP
PREDICTION: AUSTRALIAN SUCCESS IN LATIN AMERICA

Australian exporters should make the most
of Latin America’s increased interest in Australia
generated by the Socceroos campaign for World Cup glory and their upcoming
match against Brazil, according to Austrade’s Chief Economist, Tim Harcourt.

“The Socceroos performance in Germany
has not only increased awareness of Australia’s
rapidly developing skills in the world game, their success is serving as an
effective international promotion of Australia.
Interest in Australia is particularly strong in the region that is home to our next World
Cup challenge, Brazil…

Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Sao Paulo, Mark
Argar, said that he is amazed at the Brazilian public’s enormous interest in Australia
brought about by the Socceroos.

“The passion of Latin American football
supporters is a well known fact, and the Socceroos participation in the World
Cup and early success in Germany
has sparked a lot of Brazilian interest in Australia,
its people and economy…”

Harcourt’s got it bad. Up on Austrade’s
website is this paper,
“Golden Goal: Can the Socceroos lift the bar on Australian exports?”

World Cup Fever is a notifiable disease.
Please send news of political outbreaks to christian@crikey.com.au.