The federal opposition's rush to jump on US presidential hopeful Donald Trump's character assessment of Australia's envoy in Washington could erode his standing in the capital, a former senior diplomat has warned.
Australia's former high commissioner to the United Kingdom, George Brandis, cautioned politicians against criticising diplomatic appointments.The Coalition has questioned Dr Rudd’s tenure, suggesting he will not be able to work with Mr Trump if he is returned to the White House later this year.
The comments were prompted by Dr Rudd's own turn of phrase, prior to becoming ambassador to the US, when he described Mr Trump as a "destructive president" and a "traitor to the West". "If they don't, it diminishes their authority, and therefore diminishes their influence in the country to which they are accredited, and that's plainly not in Australia's national interest.""I watched the interview last night, he barely seemed to know who Kevin Rudd was when asked the question," Mr Brandis said.
The former high commissioner, now a professor at the Australian National University, suggested the interviewer had achieved his goal. "Do something else with him – there's lots of other jobs, lots of wonderful Pacific islands, they need Kevin."Donald Trump uses an appearance on British television to insult Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, suggesting he might not remain in the role if the former president is re-elected."He's bringing his usual work ethic to networking in America, as he did so notoriously here in Australia.
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