Anthony Albanese’s discussion with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell caught on hot mic

Anthony Albanese has been caught in a hot mic moment with a US heavyweight on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Pacific Islands Forum. Picture: AAP

Anthony Albanese has taken aim at a New Zealand journalist’s ethics after being caught in a hot mic asking the US to go “halvies” in the $400m Pacific policing deal.

The conversation between the Prime Minister and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum on Wednesday emerged after the journalist posted the video on social media.

In the video, Mr Albanese says to Dr Campbell, “You can go us halvies on the cost if you like. It’ll only cost you a bit”.

Dr Campbell then reveals he “talked to Kevin (Rudd) about it”

“We were going to do something but he asked us not to, so we did not,” he said.

“We have given you the lane. Take the lane.”

“Well we had a cracker today getting the Pacific Policing Initiative through,” @AlboMP tells @kurtcampbel on sidelines of @piflm53@[e-mail]/sP9YNqhlSR

— Lydia Lewis (@LydiaLewisRNZ) August 28, 2024

Asked on Thursday if the US would go “halvies”, Mr Albanese said “he won’t because this has come from the Pacific”.

“The video is what it is … it’s up to them, to whoever did that, to think about their own ethics,” he said, adding people were “coming up behind” them.

“It was private conversation. It was a jovial conversation and a friendly one.”

Mr Albanese rejected the assertion that Dr Campbell said there was an initiative that the US decided to withdraw from.

He said he would not talk to Mr Rudd about it.

The journalist, Lydia Lewis, online said she was filming “cutaways”.

RNZ chief news officer, Mark Stevens, said it stood by its reporter and its reporting.

“Having spoken to our reporter, there is nothing to suggest they acted unethically or outside of our rigorous editorial policies,” he said.