It is nice to know that the man who has given us such memorable G-8 moments as cursing while stuffing his gaping maw; demonstrating the sparkling eloquence of 'Rocky Balboa'; and partaking in the occasional grope; would leave his last economic summit with the class we have come to expect:

President George Bush signed off with a defiant farewell over his refusal to accept global climate change targets at his last G8 summit.

As he prepared to fly out from Japan, he told his fellow leaders: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

President Bush made the private joke in the summit's closing session, senior sources said yesterday. His remarks were taken as a two-fingered salute from the President from Texas who is wedded to the oil industry. He had given some ground at the summit by saying he would "seriously consider" a 50 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2050.

Well thank goodness the man took the high road.