Kevin Rudd’s revelations on stoush prove he is unsuited for UN role

Malcolm Turnbull fires back at Kevin Rudd, saying his “interpersonal skills” made him unsuitable to lead the UN.

Christopher Pyne, Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop. Picture: Gary Ramage

Malcolm Turnbull has fired back over Kevin Rudd’s exclusive interview with The Australian, saying the former leader’s “interpersonal skills and temperament” made him unsuitable to lead the United Nations.

Mr Rudd has revealed key details of four meetings with the Prime Minister last year when he was encouraged in his global campaign to become UN secretary-general and accused the Prime Minister of a breach of good faith and trust.

Mr Rudd revealed that after the Prime Minister told him in early May this year that the government would not back him, the former leader continued his international campaign on the basis of a subsequent assurance by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who told him she had struck an agreement with Mr Turnbull for cabinet to consider the issue after the election.

Mr Rudd warned that Mr Turnbull’s decision a week ago to veto his nomination to be a candidate for the UN’s top post will damage the Prime Minister’s international standing. He said the decision will be seen internationally as a “monstrous intrusion” of domestic politics into the process.

Mr Turnbull today confirmed he told Mr Rudd that the former leader had “neither the interpersonal skills nor the temperament to be a candidate”.

“I’m not going to get into a debate about Kevin Rudd and his various assertions. The facts are pretty clear and the decision was a correct one,” he told Melbourne’s 3AW radio.

“At all relevant times he knew that this was a matter for the cabinet, he knew there would be no guarantee that he would be nominated if and when he asked for such a nomination.

“He was certainly told in absolutely unequivocal terms in May that my estimation was that if he went to the cabinet he would not be supported and I told him why.”

Mr Rudd also said Turnbull had initially supported his bid as Mr Rudd spent two years unofficially lobbying governments around the world to support his campaign.

Turnbull said he was aware that some of Rudd’s former center-left Labor Party government colleagues had described their former prime minister as a “control freak” and a “narcissistic psychopath.” But Mr Turnbull declined to say whether he agreed with those descriptions.

“I have noted that. ... I’m not going to get into a commentary on Mr. Rudd. I was very frank with him,” Turnbull said.

Mr Turnbull, asked about the schism between Ms Bishop and her cabinet colleagues, refused to comment on discussions between cabinet ministers.

“We all know the reasons why the government didn’t nominate him and we should all move on.”

Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne criticised Mr Rudd for drawing the country into “a myopic discussion of Kevin Rudd and his future”.

Picking up your 4yo granddaughter from Kinderballet one of life's great joys.Lots of little possums in pink...KRudd pic.twitter.com/h0agMzNWGn

— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) August 5, 2016

“It’s all about Kevin, as usual with Kevin Rudd,” the Defence Industry Minister told the Nine Network.

“Since the announcement that we wouldn’t nominate him for secretary-general of the UN he has underlined why he is not a suitable candidate, because his behaviour has been quite extraordinary.

“The cabinet decided not to support him because, like you write a reference for a former employee or a friend, you shouldn’t do that if you don’t think that person is suitable for the job.”

Mr Pyne denied reports that a majority of cabinet ministers supported Mr Rudd’s candidacy.

“I’m not going to get into what Kevin Rudd wants … which is a myopic discussion of Kevin Rudd and his future. The truth is he’s no longer the prime minister, he’s no longer in parliament, the cabinet is not nominating him for secretary-general of the UN, and everyone needs to move on including Kevin.”

Senator James McGrath, a close confidant of Malcolm Turnbull, denounced Mr Rudd was a “whiner” who should “shut up”.

“Australia should get the Nobel Peace Prize for saving the world from Rudd,” he tweeted.

“I’ve raised my Rudd ‘wouldn’t (have my) trust to use a toaster’ warning to include jaffle irons, kettles and the remote control.”

Bill Shorten said Mr Turnbull’s apparent reversal in his support for Mr Rudd demonstrated his lack of authority within his party.

“Mr Rudd is clearly of the opinion that Mr Turnbull made a promise to him and Mr Turnbull has now defaulted on it because Mr Turnbull doesn’t control his own party,” the Opposition Leader said.

“If Mr Turnbull could do a deal with someone and then has to come back and say ‘sorry, I couldn’t convince all my right-wing minders to do it’, well what sort of stability does that promise us on all the other big issues in Australia?”