Labor to ‘reverse’ trend of appointing ex-politicians to senior diplomatic postings
Labor has announced it will “reverse” an old trend that helped ex-pollies get a fat pay cheque after leaving parliament.
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said the days of politicians assuming lofty diplomatic postings upon their retirement from parliament are mostly at an end.
Senator Wong said the Albanese government was “reversing” what she said was the previous Morrison government’s approach to diplomatic appointments.
“We are rebalancing appointments towards more qualified senior officials consistent with community expectations and position requirements and circumstances,” she told reporters on Friday.
Senator Wong said former Liberal premiers Will Hodgman and Barry O’Farrell and federal Liberal ministers Arthur Sinodinos and Mitch Fifield would all conclude their overseas postings next year.
The ex-politicians have been respectively serving as High Commissioner to Singapore, High Commissioner to India, Ambassador to the US and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations.
However, former federal Labor minister Stephen Smith will take over as High Commissioner to the UK in an appointment which Senator Wong said was in keeping with tradition.
“In circumstances, there is also a clear advantage for Australia to be represented by people who have had distinguished careers beyond the public service such as business people and former parliamentarians,” Senator Wong said.
“The eminence of Australia’s relationship with the UK has long been reflected in the appointment of the former senior cabinet minister.”
Mr Smith was elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 and served as a cabinet minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments before retiring from politics in 2013.
He will begin his new post in early 2023 when he takes over from interim commissioner Lynette Wood.
The commissioner role was held until earlier this year by former attorney-general George Brandis, who replaced former foreign minister Alexander Downer in the position in 2018.
Senator Wong also announced on Friday the appointment of six career diplomats to high-level overseas postings.
Simon Twisk has been named the Ambassador to Argentina, Axel Wabenhorst the Ambassador to Egypt, Melissa Kelly the Ambassador to Kuwait, Indra McCormick the Ambassador to Portugal, Tony Huber the Consul-General in Turkey and Andrew Goledzinowski the Ambassador to Vietnam.
Senator Wong said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would carry a recruitment process to appoint “experienced public servants” as heads of mission in Singapore, New Delhi, Tokyo and at the UN in New York.
Originally published as Labor to ‘reverse’ trend of appointing ex-politicians to senior diplomatic postings
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