US ambassador role: Why Kevin Rudd will have to hit ground running
The role of an Australian ambassador is often seen as ceremonial, but the US posting comes with huge demands. Here’s why.
National
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Other than the Governor-General, there is no more important appointment for a prime minister to make than Australia’s ambassador to the United States.
That was the view expressed by Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott to Joe Hockey before the former treasurer was sent to Washington DC in 2016.
The role of an ambassador can often seem largely ceremonial: building relationships with political and business leaders, attending events, giving speeches, and greeting visiting Australian ministers as they step off the plane.
The post in DC, however, is rarely held by a career diplomat from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It instead demands someone equally adept at making themselves heard in the White House and in the prime minister’s office back in Canberra.
The list of former US ambassadors includes former Liberal leader Andrew Peacock, ex-Labor leader Kim Beazley and Dennis Richardson, who was the head of Australia’s spy agency and went on to head up DFAT and the Department of Defence.
Mr Hockey held the post for the tumultuous start of Donald Trump’s presidency and quickly proved proficient at navigating his unusual diplomatic protocols, including in the aftermath of the disastrous call between Mr Trump and Malcolm Turnbull over a refugee swap deal.
His relationships in Mr Trump’s White House also proved crucial in securing an exemption for Australia from new steel and aluminium tariffs, as he spearheaded a successful alliance-strengthening campaign on the “100 years of mateship” dating back to World War I.
Mr Hockey was succeeded at the start of 2020 by Arthur Sinodinos, a former Liberal cabinet minister who served as John Howard’s chief of staff for a decade.
He has become a highly respected figure on both sides of the political aisle in Washington, where his strong relationships have been essential in negotiations over the AUKUS defence pact.
Early next year, he will hand over the keys to White Oaks – Australia’s ambassadorial residence that was once home to US General George Patton – to Kevin Rudd.
When Mr Hockey took the job, DFAT tried to put him through a six-week “diplomatic school” but he insisted on a truncated program, and the former prime minister’s introduction will likely be fast-tracked as well.
To make it official, he will need to present his credentials to President Joe Biden, before hitting the ground running as the Australian government expects to finalise its plan to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine fleet under AUKUS by March.
Mr Rudd will also have to navigate a newly divided Congress, where Mr Sinodinos has been advocating for legislative reforms to ensure AUKUS is not hamstrung by American red tape.
Construction on Australia’s new embassy will also be finished soon, with diplomats hoping Anthony Albanese could open it with Mr Biden on his first prime ministerial visit to the US next year.
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