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Stephen Battaglia is an Year 11 student at Carey Grammar School. He was brought to fame when he hugged the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr John Howard with a screwdriver in his hand.
The Hug
Stephen Battaglia rushed upto Mr Howard to give him a hug for his 67th birthday. After a group of fellow rowers sung him Happy Birthday. Stephen has said it was a spur-of-the-moment act & he had forgotten that he was holding the screwdriver.
Security Scare
When Stephen Battaglia went to hug Mr Howard he was still cluching a screwdriver which he had been using to repair a boat rudder. That brought him to the attention of the Prime Ministers's security staff and the media. In the news videos you can see a member of the security staff doing nothing as Stephen rushed passed him. While there was no suggestion Battaglia had any malicious intent, newspapers questioned why Mr Howard's security had failed to stop him. Mr Howard's office declined to comment.
Stephen's Response
Stephen has said that "It's first time I've ever done anything like this. I'm not really the kind of guy that jumps up on stage and sings a song just at a bar. I'm like the shy guy," he said.
Media Reaction
Since the hug he has been mentioned in the SMH, The Age, On Melbourne Radio station Triple M & every commercial television station in Australia. He has even been mentioned in South African News.
Further reading
- missingauthor (missingdate). "Security screwdriver scare". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Howard hug ... with a twist". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Schoolboy scares PM with screwdriver". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Stephen and his screwdriver". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Aus PM in birthday hug scare". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Security red-faced after PM's bear hug". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Just toolin' around". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Boy just happy to see PM". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Mother's cry over that hug". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Howard says screwdriver was no threat". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - missingauthor (missingdate). "Screwdriver boy famous". missingpublisher.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
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