Australia’s relationship with the US will not be impacted by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s shock dismissal

WHILE the government downplays the significance of Donald Trump’s shock decision to sack his Secretary of State, Julie Bishop has revealed she heard the news around the same time as he did.

JULIE Bishop has revealed she found out US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was going to be sacked at about the same time he did.

US President Donald Trump made the shock announcement over Twitter at about 11pm AEDT yesterday, which is reportedly how Mr Tillerson learned of his fate.

In a sign of how close ties are between the White House and the Australian Government currently, the Foreign Affairs Minister this morning revealed she was formally contacted about the move last night.

Asked if she found out before Mr Tillerson, Ms Bishop said: “I think about the same time.”

She thanked Mr Tillerson for his service over the past year, while highlighting their “very positive” working relationship on difficult issues such as the fight against ISIS and the security concerns of North Korea.

“I work very productively with Rex Tillerson and I thank him for his relationship and partnership with Australia ... I certainly look forward to working with Mike Pompeo, whom I met with in Washington last September,” she said.

“I believe that we will have a very positive working relationship.”

Ms Bishop said the ties between Australia and the US were “very deep and enduring”, no matter who was in the Lodge or the White House.

Rex Tillerson meeting Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop during a group photo with leaders from the 'Global Coalition Working to Defeat ISIS' in 2017 in Washington DC. Picture: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia’s access to the White House would not be damaged by Donald Trump’s shock decision to sack his Secretary of State.

The Prime Minister today thanked Rex Tillerson for being a “terrific” partner for Australia while welcoming his replacement, CIA director Mike Pompeo, after President Trump announced his decision overnight.

Mr Turnbull said the transition would be “absolutely seamless”.

“I want to thank Rex Tillerson for the great work he’s done as Secretary of State,” Mr Turnbull said this morning.

“He’s been a terrific partner for us and so we thank him for that and congratulate him on his great work and we look forward to working with Mike Pompeo, or continue working with Mike Pompeo.

“We know him very well. He’s a great friend of Australia.

“The transition will be absolutely seamless.

“Our relationship with the United States, as you know, is outstanding at so many levels from the President and myself, right through the military, intelligence, diplomacy, business.”

Mr Tillerson has been a key diplomatic channel for the Turnbull Government to the White House over the past year.

Just last week, Ms Bishop held phone talks with him while negotiating Australia’s exemption from the steep US tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Mr Turnbull rejected suggestions this morning that Mr Tillerson had been key to securing the exemption.

The Prime Minister said the agreement had been made between him and President Trump on Saturday morning, Australian time.

Earlier, Treasurer Scott Morrison has highlighted the “deep”, “wide” ties between Australia and the US.

“I thank him for his service and the service to the Australian relationship,” Mr Morrison said this morning.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said Australia’s relationship with the White House won’t be impacted by the departure of Rex Tillerson. Picture: Kym Smith

“These matters are obviously, though, a matter for the US Administration but the incoming Foreign Secretary is well known to Australia,” he told ABC radio.

“The Foreign Minister (Julie Bishop) met with him in September of last year.

“There’s an existing relationship there.”

Mr Morrison said the existing relationship showed the strength of the Australia-US relationship.

“It’s deep, it’s wide, the individuals all know each other, because we work across many different areas and particularly in some of the national security spaces with the CIA and others and clearly there is a lot of interaction between those agencies and ours,” he said.

Mr Tillerson becomes the 20th senior Trump Administration official to either resign or be sacked.

Shadow Minister for Defence Richard Marles was confident Tillerson’s replacement would do a good job. Picture:

Shadow Defence Minister Richard Marles told Sky News it was “sad” to see Mr Tillerson go but he was sure Mr Pompeo would do a good job.

“The relationship between Australia and the US transcends individuals and I’m sure a really good relationship will be developed with Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State,” he said.

CIA deputy director Gina Haspel will become the first woman to lead the agency as Mr Pompeo’s replacement.

Originally published as Australia’s relationship with the US will not be impacted by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s shock dismissal