What a country I live in - where the leader of the nation, John Howard, can go for a jog on his birthday, and people can just run up and give him a big old hug. It doesn't even matter if you are armed.

"(I was) just thinking, more like 'Happy Birthday Johnny'," he said, laughing off the incident.

Battaglia said he hadn't realised he was carrying the screwdriver when he approached Mr Howard.

"I was like, twirling it on my finger, and I just looked down and gone 'uh-oh, whoops'. Can't believe I didn't get killed,"

That's cos it's Straya, mate. No wuckers.