In 2008, Julia Gillard let rip at Julie Bishop over Ms Bishop's genuine and hard-won executive education acquired from the Harvard University Advanced Management Program in 1996 - a program that's recognised as among the top tier of executive leadership courses in the world.

Bishop brickbat, Costello bouquet

THE Government has accused the embattled shadow treasurer Julie Bishop of misrepresenting her studies at Harvard, as it continues its assault on her credibility.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard claimed Ms Bishop had tried to create the impression she was at Harvard for an extended period in the mid-1990s.

 

Ms Gillard said that in April 2006 when Ms Bishop had talked about her studies she had said she was privileged to be an international student at Harvard.

 

"The truth is she was there for a summer program, for a course that now costs $60,000," Ms Gillard said.

Well Julie Bishop is the real deal,a member of the Harvard Alumni and recognised by her peers.

Julia Gillard's best friend Robyn McLeod was appointed Water Commissioner for South Australia by the Mike Rann Labor Government in 2008.   Ms McLeod's CV set out a number of claims that went to her suitability for the job - and South Australian taxpayers are said to have paid her about $300,000 per annum income for that expertise and skill.

Download Robyn mcleod cv

The people of South Australia are entitled to know they got value for money from that appointment and that all of Ms McLeod's CV is correct, including these references:

Harvard University Alumni is a very specific group of people - people who have satisfactorily completed an academic course or other qualifying process at Harvard.

I have checked with academic sources today and we are unable to find any record of Ms McLeod as an alumni of the Harvard University.

Harvard University does not offer a course entitled "Senior Executive Fellows Program".

But the Kennedy School does - and it held one in 2006.  Here are some details:

Senior Executive Fellows

Designed to help promising senior officials prepare for promotion to Senior Executive Service. Focuses on OPM’s Executive Core Qualifications.

The Kennedy School has its own alumni network, but it's not Harvard, it's the Kennedy School.

Check Julie Bishop on Harvard's website you get a full page of results, dating right back to 2006 when Julie Bishop actually was at Harvard.

But enter Robyn McLeod and you get zip, nada, nothing.

Nothing on the local Harvard Alumni sites, nothing.

Just a claim written on a CV that got a job worth $300,000 per annum.