When it comes to gift giving, presentation counts. Certainly a luxury corporate pen gift, regardless of how finely crafted and sharply designed it is, requires some classy packaging to help give it more impact. Could you imagine it? Being given a loose pen straight from someone's pocket? Aside from probably leaving ink everywhere, it's hardly the most impressive sight when receiving a gift. Rather unfortunately for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnball, a loose pen and a pocket full of ink might have been the better option.

It's the thought that counts...

Last week when Prime Minister Turnball visited troops in Afghanistan, he also visited the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani. Of course a meeting between the leaders of two countries generally counts as a special one, which often requires a gift, so why not a fountain pen? A simple, no frills, and ever useful diplomatic or luxury gift. Of course I imagine that the security staff of government buildings in the Middle East are rather suspicious of seemingly innocent looking parcels by nature, so the present was very carefully inspected.

After being put through an X-Ray, the security staff were still suspicious. So they had the DFAT officer presenting the gift to unwrap it in its entirety. Bubble wrap, green ribbon, gold wrapping paper, green tissue paper, and then a velvet box holding the pen. Of course, the security of President Ghani was no small matter, and no Trojan horse of a pen would infiltrate the presidential building with its potentially dangerous payload, so the pen was subsequently disassembled and drained of ink. With the guards finally assured, the pen was then given back to the DFAT officer and approved as a gift.

So what was left was an unworking pen in box covered with torn up wrapping paper and packaging. Not the most impressive gift to give to a world leader. I wonder what President Ghani said when he saw it, and better yet, what he said to Prime Minister Turnball about it.

Originally seen on: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/when-malcolm-turnbull-tried-to-give-ashraf-ghani-a-pen-20160117-gm7vob.html