EDITORIAL: Wishy-washy Albanese puts Australia on the outer

Close to 24 hours after the United States bombed key Iranian nuclear facilities, Anthony Albanese finally stood to address the nation.

This was a pivotal point in history: Australia’s closest military and strategic ally had made a bold strike against one of the world’s most tyrannical and dangerous regimes. Australians want to know what it all means, and what was likely to come next.

They got a Prime Minister who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

It was clear from Mr Albanese’s curt manner at his Monday morning press conference that he didn’t want any part of US President Donald Trump’s surprise attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

He said what he had to: that Iran could not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and that Australia was in support of actions to prevent that nightmare scenario.

But Mr Albanese also stressed that Australia was not involved in this conflict. Five times, the Prime Minister said that this had been a “unilateral action” by the US.

And when asked directly, repeatedly, whether Australia was given any heads-up an action would occur prior to the bombs falling, Mr Albanese skirted the question.

What he did say was that he had not spoken to Mr Trump since before last week’s G7 summit, which the President left a day early, causing the planned sit-down between the two leaders to be abandoned.

Mr Albanese must make it his priority to repair Australia’s deteriorating relationship with the US.

Australia-US relations have never been at a lower ebb.

Mr Trump is a challenging character. And Mr Albanese isn’t alone in his distaste for him. Successive polls have found Australians are among the world’s biggest critics of him, finding him dangerous and untrustworthy.

But this isn’t about Donald Trump the man. This is about the fact that the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran is an intolerable one. Iran’s regime is the antithesis to liberal democracy, obsessed with the destruction of Israel and of Western values.

The decision by the US to join Israel in doing what needed to be done — despite Mr Trump’s clear personal preference not to get involved in matters beyond his borders — was the right one.

Contrast Mr Albanese’s non-existent relationship with Mr Trump’s administration with that of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who did get a heads-up about the US’ intentions in Iran.

Mr Albanese and Mr Starmer are ideological kin, sharing a leftist world view.

Yet where Mr Albanese wears his repugnance towards Mr Trump on his sleeve, Mr Starmer makes it work.

The result is a UK which is firmly within the Western alliance, and an Australia increasingly on its outer.

Mr Albanese must make it his priority to repair Australia’s deteriorating relationship with the US.

That means we need an effective ambassador in Washington. While this is not intended as a Kevin Rudd-bashing exercise, it is apparent he is not that person. Shifting him out and finding the right person to serve Australia’s interests in the Trump era is one step along the road to restoring our alliance.

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