EDITORIAL: Enough of the silly games on US relationship
Australia’s relationship with the United States is our nation’s most important.
The US is by far Australia’s largest source of foreign investment, eclipsing the contribution of our second biggest investor, the UK, by more than $291 billion in 2023.
Even more significantly, for the best part of a century, our security has been underwritten by our American friends. And there’s no better or stronger friend to have on your side than the world’s No.1 military power.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Maintaining our close economic and strategic ties with the US is of crucial importance.
Yet to Anthony Albanese, it all seems a bit of a joke.
After the debacle in which President Donald Trump stood him up at the G7 summit last month to deal with the unfolding Iran crisis, the Prime Minister has been pummelled by questions as to when we can expect the pair to hold a make-up chat.
It’s a line of questioning Mr Albanese clearly finds irritating. He bristles whenever the topic is broached.
Instead of firm commitments, we’ve received glib answers from the PM about occasions during “summit season” their paths may cross.
Mr Albanese wants us to trust him that it’s all under control, despite mounting evidence to the contrary: the US has continued to pursue its punishing tariff agenda and senior members of Mr Trump’s administration have called Australia out as a security bludger, with demands our nation dramatically increase its military budget.
This has set off understandable anxiety in Australia among those interested in our nation’s continued economic prosperity and security. But Mr Albanese thinks these legitimate concerns are all a bit of hyperbolic hysteria.
On Thursday evening, we found out there had been a meeting with Mr Trump after all, which until now had rated only the briefest of mentions. On January 11, a week prior to Mr Trump’s inauguration as President, he met with Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd.
That’s about the extent of what we know about the rendezvous, other than the fact it occurred in the dining room of the Trump International Golf Club in Florida.
Was it a scheduled meeting? Or did Mr Rudd just rock up, hoping to catch the ear of the then-incoming president?
Was anything of substance discussed? Or was it a quick “I’m Kevin, I’m from Queensland” followed by a “gotta zip”?
Mr Albanese’s response to further, legitimate questions about the nature of the meeting was typically rude and dismissive.
He denied there was anything “secret” about the ambassador’s contact with Mr Trump, but gave no further details.
More games. More obfuscation. More condescension.
Mr Albanese heads to Beijing on Saturday to begin a six-day China tour, during which he will meet with President Xi Jinping for the fourth time.
The normalisation of Australia’s relationship with China is one of the great successes of Mr Albanese’s prime ministership to date.
The mature, patient way his Government has convinced China to wind back its tariffs is a credit to him. But it also provides a stark contrast to his petulance on the US.
