‘As much as I can’: PM Anthony Albanese defends recent travels

Amid worsening polls and the possibility of leading a one-term government, Anthony Albanese has defended himself against recent criticism.

Anthony Albanese has rebuffed assertions he should “spend more time in the country” if he wanted to prevent leading a one-term government.

The Prime Minister again defended his recent overseas travels, maintaining that none of those trips were for holidays and at all times he was “representing Australia”.

In the last two months, Mr Albanese has visited the US twice, China, and the Cook Islands.

The Coalition has been supportive in principle for much of Mr Albanese’s recent travel but last month called on him not to go to APEC amid rising concerns about community safety.

Anthony Albanese with Chinese President Xi Jinping at last month’s APEC summit. Picture: Reuters/Loren Elliott

Speaking to 3AW’s Neil Mitchell, Mr Albanese said he spent “every day I can in the country”.

“I haven’t been on overseas holidays,” he said.

To that, Mitchell put to him that he was needed at home as well.

“Part of the job is to represent Australia. You know why? Because one in four of our jobs depends upon our trade,” he said.

“Now fixing some of the trading relationships that we have, either with the United States deals we’ve done on critical minerals in clean energy, the removal of some of the impediments to trade with China, which is making a difference for our barley farmers and our wine growers and all of those industries, benefits Australia.”

Mr Albanese with US President Joe Biden at APEC last month. Picture: X

And in October on an official visit. Picture: PMO

Mr Albanese said he wasn’t paying much attention to recent polls that showed support for Labor had plummeted to its lowest level since last year’s election.

He told Mitchell he didn’t agree that the public was “turning” on him.

“Polls come and go … What I’m focused on is the medium term, just day to day,” he said.

“Because if you do that (spend too much time on the polls), you’ll end up not delivering the sort of government that we need.”