It must be frustrating to travel to an entirely different continent and still find no escape from the parochial preoccupations of home.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is finding that part of the job never changes.

In Paris this afternoon he made himself available to reporters. His press secretary even warmed up the accompanying media with enthusiastic encouragement to ask questions on as wide ranging an array of issues as
possible. "Productive questions will get productive answers," he broadly hinted.

As for Harper, he gamely tried to steer the event in the direction of the many important and interesting international issues on his agenda.

But, you know, things never seem to work out the way you plan.

Every question (or rather all FOUR questions) dealt exclusively with the circumstances of former foreign affairs minister Maxine Bernier's departure from cabinet or the details of his former girlfriend, Julie Couillard's revealing TV interview.

The PM, who had arrived with a smile on his face, left in a noticeably darker mood.