Anthony Albanese slams opposition’s question about reconsidering Kevin Rudd’s US ambassadorship

Australian Community Media

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed a Coalition question about the Australian Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, during parliamentary question time.

Transcript

00:00 At a time when Australians are worried about the cost of living and a range of issues that

00:04 affect their daily lives, they decide to politicise Australia's representative in Washington DC.

00:15 Something that was never done by this side of the chamber when Arthur Sinodinos occupied that

00:26 position, when Joe Hockey occupied that position, and when other representatives,

00:32 including Alexander Downer, George Brandis and others as High Commissioner of the United Kingdom.

00:38 Because one of the things that I have never seen happen before in 28 years in this chamber

00:43 is an attempt to politicise Australia's representative overseas in an important

00:50 nation such as that. I have never seen it before. This is what the Leader of the Opposition said

01:03 on the appointment of Mr Kevin Rudd, a former Australian Prime Minister, as Ambassador to the

01:10 United States. He said this, 'We welcome the appointment of Kevin Rudd to the United States.'

01:16 When Joe Hockey, a predecessor, was appointed, he said this, 'I'm sure the Americans will give him

01:23 a warm welcome.' Those opposite know that whether it is Kevin Rudd in the United States or Stephen

01:31 Smith, who is currently here as a result of the Ocmean meetings as High Commissioner to the United

01:37 Kingdom, who I hosted last evening—and I will host the Ocmean delegates, both the Defence and

01:43 Foreign Ministers, including former Prime Minister David Cameron, at the Lodge tomorrow, and be very

01:51 proud to do so—is that when we engage particularly with our AUCUS allies, the idea that we have a

02:01 cheap-shot question like that diminishes the Opposition and says everything about why this

02:10 bloke is not fit to be the Prime Minister of Australia.

02:17 [END]

02:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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