The calls to sack Kevin Rudd as Australian ambassador to the United States have been given short shrift by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an exchange with the press during his visit to Peru for the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation summit.
Albanese arrived in Lima just after one of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters, Dan Scavino, posted on X an image of an hourglass in response to Rudd. This was seen as a clear message that Scavino thought time was up for the ambassador, and that he should go because of his past criticisms of Trump – including a comment labelling the president-elect a “village idiot”.
Soon after Scavino’s post, Trump named him deputy chief of staff, a key role in the new administration.
Albanese shut down the talk of dumping Rudd during a press conference in Lima on Thursday, local time. He did not list all the support for Rudd in recent days, but former prime ministers Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull have said he should stay, while former ambassadors Joe Hockey and Arthur Sinodinos, who preceded Rudd in Washington, DC, have said the same.
Albanese addresses a press conference in Lima, Peru, at the APEC meeting.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“Ambassador Rudd is doing a good job,” Albanese said, “and that’s been recognised across the political spectrum in Australia”.
However, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has not been totally supportive, describing Rudd’s position as a matter of judgment for Albanese.
“The prime minister’s made a number of captain’s calls,” Dutton said.
“And they’ve been at odds with the advice that he’s received from his closest advisers and colleagues, and I suppose that’s a question about the prime minister’s judgment.”
Dutton has not called for Rudd’s removal but questioned whether he could do the job after his remarks about Trump.
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