Next US ambassador will have ‘no simple task’
It won’t be easy for Australia’s future ambassador to the US to manage her relationship with Donald Trump and then make a change of president, an expert says, as leading candidates for the post emerge.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that Kevin Rudd has resigned as Australia’s ambassador to the United States and will end the role a year early at the end of March.
The former Labor prime minister was appointed in 2023 but has faced concerns over his harsh criticism of Mr Trump in the past.
Jared Mondschein, research director at the Center for United States Studies, points to low tariffs in Australia. He said no one could deny Rudd’s tenure had been nothing short of successful.
He said the next ambassador should match the “tireless work ethic” of previous appointments.
“To further Australia’s interests you need an ambassador who is willing to work on a wide range of issues and across a broad spectrum of people, including Democrats, Republicans, Congress, the executive branch and more,” Mr Mondschein said.
“It’s not a simple task at all.”
Former Labor ministers Joel Fitzgibbon and Stephen Conroy, who previously held the defense secretaryship, have been nominated as potential replacements.
Government sources noted Mr Fitzgibbon’s previous experience and ability to play golf, the US president’s favorite pastime.
Noting rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, Mr. Mondschein said the U.S.-Australia alliance was ultimately “much bigger than any president or any ambassador.”
“You only have to look at the breadth and depth of the US-Australia relationship to see this,” he said.
Mr. Albanese, Dr. He will announce the appointment at a later date, denying that the relationship between Rudd and the Trump administration has deteriorated.
Department sources praised the retired ambassador’s work ethic and contacts and noted that it was more difficult to meet with officials within the Trump administration before his term.
Dr Rudd will take on the role of global chairman of the Asia Community think tank.
He will also lead the association’s Center for China Analysis.
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