EDITORIAL: Stakes are high as PM heads off on US mission

It’s been a hell of a fortnight for Anthony Albanese’s aspirations to be regarded as an international statesman.

To have one Pacific security deal scuppered at the last moment may be regarded as misfortune; to have two sunk in as many weeks looks like an complete and utter balls-up.

Mr Albanese said it was matters of Papua New Guinean domestic politics that prevented the signing of what should have been a historic defence treaty between the two nations this week.

Too many of James Marape’s ministers had nicked off home for independence celebrations, meaning a PNG Cabinet quorum couldn’t be reached to approve the agreement.

Still, coming as it did on the heels of the implosion of a security deal with Vanuatu because of that nation’s concerns it would prevent it from seeking infrastructure funding from other countries, had many giving the side-eye to China.

That suspicion was heightened on Friday when China directly urged PNG not to sign any deal that would exclude it from co-operating with other parties.

Australia doesn’t have any royal razzle dazzle to rely upon

Nought-for-two on the diplomacy front, Mr Albanese now heads to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly and will need to get some big runs on the board if he’s to salvage some dignity.

And he’s playing for a lot more than pride.

Twice-jilted by his Pacific neighbours, it’s little wonder Mr Albanese is keeping his cards close to his chest as to whether he will finally meet with President Donald Trump on the trip.

Mr Trump himself however appeared to give the game away when he threatened to dob in an ABC reporter to the PM who he said was “coming over to see me very soon”.

Once the business of John Lyons’ perceived impertinence is dealt with, Mr Albanese will have plenty to discuss with Mr Trump, and a handful of topics to avoid, should the meeting go ahead.

Those conversational landmines include the cardinal purpose of Mr Albanese’s American jaunt: Australia’s recognition at the UN of a Palestinian state, a position with which the President strongly disagrees.

It’s a potential point of tension that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was able to successfully navigate during the President’s historic second state banquet at Windsor Castle this week.

The Brits have settled on spectacle bordering on sycophancy as the most effective way of staying in Mr Trump’s good books, and it’s a tactic that is working well.

Unfortunately, despite sharing a monarchy with the UK, Australia doesn’t have any royal razzle dazzle to rely upon.

Instead, it will be up to Mr Albanese to get Mr Trump to utter the magic word Canberra has been sweating on since the President’s inauguration in January: AUKUS.

If Mr Albanese were to return to Australia with even a mild endorsement from the President of our keystone defence project, the failures in the Pacific would come out in the wash.

Conversely, a threat to torpedo the project unless Australia caves to American demands to dramatically up its defence budget would be a disaster, the repercussions of which would reach far beyond the PM’s legacy.

Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dore.