Andrew Hastie says Donald Trump was ‘trolling’ Kevin Rudd, undermining Sussan Ley’s argument
Andrew Hastie has undermined the Coalition argument that Kevin Rudd should be removed because Donald Trump did not know him.
Sussan Ley’s partyroom rival Andrew Hastie says Australia’s US ambassador Kevin Rudd “got the job done”, in a veiled swipe at the Opposition Leader who had been calling for Dr Rudd’s removal.
Mr Hastie’s jab marks another backbench slight on the Liberal leadership’s position on Dr Rudd since the largely well-received bilateral meeting between Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump.
Ms Ley and her deputy, Ted O’Brien, had made the argument in the past few days that Dr Rudd should be removed because Mr Trump told him “I don’t like you” and because it appeared Mr Trump did not know who Australia’s ambassador was.
Ms Ley on Thursday continued to inch away from calling for Dr Rudd’s removal and declined to answer whether this saga had “undermined” her leadership.
“Let’s be honest, what went down in that room was an embarrassment,” she said. “It’s important that the President of the US knows the ambassador to Australia and likes the ambassador and respects the relationship. None of those things are clearly in place right now.”
Mr Hastie broke his silence since he quit the Coalition frontbench over a policy difference with Ms Ley on immigration and used the opportunity to say Dr Rudd had “got the job done in the end” and Mr Trump was only “trolling” Dr Rudd.
“I think Kevin Rudd got the job done,” Mr Hastie told 2GB radio. “He got the minerals deal. And he had a seat at the table with President Trump and the Prime Minister.
“And frankly, he made some unwise comments prior to becoming the ambassador. We all make unwise comments.
“And he sat there and he was humiliated by Donald Trump, first by pretending not to know who he was and then secondly, by saying I don’t like you and I think I never will. But he copped it on the chin for the country.
“And we don’t need to relive the humiliation. We’ve got the deal, let’s move on.”
Mr Hastie was asked to clarify whether he thought Mr Trump did indeed know Dr Rudd.
“Oh, yeah,” Mr Hastie said. “This guy does really good reality television. And trolling the Australian ambassador was good TV. In the end, Kevin Rudd copped it on the chin for the country. And we move forward.”
Victorian senator Jane Hume on Wednesday said it was a “little bit churlish” to be calling for Dr Rudd’s removal after a largely well orchestrated bilateral meeting. After Senator Hume’s comment, Ms Ley retreated from her previous call for Dr Rudd to be sacked. “I welcome all the comments from my talented backbench … Kevin Rudd is the Prime Minister’s choice for ambassador,” she said.
On Thursday, senior frontbencher James Paterson also declined to go as far as to call for Dr Rudd’s removal.
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