Leaders don’t get a second chance to make first impressions abroad, so Anthony Albanese may now have the opportunity for a bit more creativity in what was planned to be his first visit to Indonesia.

This visit has become a rite of passage for incoming Australian prime ministers since Paul Keating went to Jakarta in 1992 laying the foundations for a golden period of engagement with Indonesia in the remaining four years he was in power. He also set a modern precedent for future prime ministers with John Howard, Kevin Rudd (to the Kyoto agreement signing in Bali), Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison all making the trip – but with varying degrees of future successful bilateral engagement.