Australia may still face a nervous wait to see whether its bid for the United Nations Security Council has been successful, but in the meantime the nation has had a win at world headquarters.

Tim Mathieson, the partner of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, has become the first bloke in the 67-year history of the UN to attend the "first spouses" tea hosted by the wife of the UN General-Secretary.

Mr Mathieson and his US-based daughter, Sherri, attended the function hosted by Ban Soon-taek, the wife of the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.

Meanwhile, rumours apparently originating within the UN have circulated that Mr Mathieson was the source of the stomach bug that felled Ms Gillard on Monday.

But Ms Gillard, still trying to shake off the illness, yesterday rejected the idea that her partner was responsible.

Indeed, he had not fallen ill. But several others in the prime ministerial delegation have been ill all week and suspicion being aimed at the food that was loaded on to the prime ministerial plane when it stopped in Hawaii to refuel.

Mr Mathieson has kept a low profile in New York this week. His most significant outing was accompanying the Prime Minister to the new September 11 ground zero memorial last night, where the couple paid their respects to the victims of the terror attack, including 10 Australians.

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