KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark was the first stop for Kevin Rudd's special envoy to test his idea of a closer Asia Pacific community around 20 capitals in the region.
Richard Woolcott, a former top diplomat, was commissioned by the Australian Prime Minister to better explain Mr Rudd's idea of an EU-style community, which took many by surprise when he announced it in June.
Mr Rudd, elected in November last year, has not yet attended a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum and did not consult Helen Clark before suggesting his idea.
Helen Clark is thought to be a little sceptical about the announcement of such a major undertaking and that was evident yesterday when she described Mr Rudd's approach.
"I guess to coin a phrase you could put it down to overexuberance and enthusiasm for the task."
Mr Woolcott said he was not discussing the idea with Opposition leader John Key - despite the election being less than three months away.
"We deal with Governments."
