ROMAN emperor Julius Caesar had become too popular and too powerful when he met an untimely end at the hands of those he trusted more than 2000 years ago.

So it was with surprise that Senator Santo Santoro yesterday evoked Caesar's name to introduce Prime Minister John Howard to a Brisbane fundraising gathering of almost 500 Queensland Liberals.

"I believe they have come here to praise you, not to do anything else, just as they did Caesar, and I'm sure you are not going to disappoint us later on," Senator Santoro said.

While Mr Howard may have had no cause to say "et tu (and you) Brutus", as Caesar did to his betrayer Brutus, mingling with the Queensland Liberals can be a case of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. [...]