EDITORIAL: Global Citizen Albanese tone-deaf on local issues
Voters back in Australia were probably thinking about anything but Mr Albanese and the United Nations Security Council.
Well, that seals it.
Anthony Albanese’s latest speech to the United Nations should ensure he is in line for another award.
Those following along will know that Mr Albanese’s US visit included not only speaking at the United Nations General Assembly but also being lauded for his role as a “global citizen”.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.That saw him rub shoulders with the likes of Hollywood stars Cynthia Erivo and Keanu Reeves, and F1 boss Stefano Domenicali as he was handed a Global Citizen award from the Atlantic Council — a US-based think tank on international affairs and diplomacy — on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape introduced Mr Albanese to the crowd gathered to celebrate what the Atlantic Council called the “highest expression of global citizenship”.
Mr Albanese said he accepted the award with humility on behalf of Australia, and it was the honour of his life to serve Australians.
On Thursday night he went on to address delegates at the General Assembly. Or rather more accurately perhaps, lecture them.
He probably didn’t notice there were quite a few empty seats as he took up his theme, making a pitch for Australia to get a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Mr Albanese has nominated the need to curb AI as a priority for Australia’s bid to sit on the Security Council in 2029 and 2030.
He said that the emerging technology was evolving at a “furious pace,” and said the “breakdown of trust, civility and social cohesion” was promoting conflict within and between countries.
He had already revealed a rogue Open AI agent had accessed “non-public files” at Medicare.
Mr Albanese also spoke of the need for a functioning rules-based global order and for small states and middle powers to be heard.
Garnishing his credentials before the kumbayah crowd, Mr Albanese said he was proud Australia recognised Palestine as a state.
And he spoke of the need to “protect the peace, to create a world of human dignity”.
Hard to argue against world peace.
But it was far removed from the slice of the real world which hit the UN when diplomats jeered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he took to the podium.
He chastised world leaders for their “mind-blowing hypocrisy” over Iran and railed against European governments for “succumbing to anti-Semitic mobs.”
Meanwhile, the real business in the real world was conducted far away as tech titans gathered for a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping thrown by President Donald Trump at the White House.
That’s not to say the UN doesn’t achieve anything of substance.
Why, just this month it backed a resolution driven by several African countries to adopt a map of the world that makes their continent bigger while shrinking North America and Europe.
Voters back in Australia were probably thinking about anything other than Mr Albanese’s world-wide tilting at windmills.
They were probably wondering how they will handle the expected interest rate rise next week.
And that extra award for Mr Albanese?
How about most tone-deaf performance.
