PM Anthony Albanese’s photo op at APEC that is tone deaf

For Anthony Albanese, an unscripted moment was particularly awkward given the mounting criticism of his travel schedule – 18 overseas trips in 18 months.

Of all Anthony Albanese’s attacks on Scott Morrison, few were more successful than him painting his opponent as obsessed with the photo op and absent for the follow-up.

So it was surprising, to say the least, to see the Prime Minister whip out his phone upon arriving at the APEC summit in San Francisco and direct a photographer to take some happy snaps of him and his US ambassador Kevin Rudd.

While these talkfests are inevitably dominated by photo ops, as heads of state enjoy the chance to strengthen their relationships in person, these are normally arranged by political staffers rather than the leaders themselves.

In Albanese’s case, the unscripted moment was particularly awkward given the mounting criticism of his travel schedule – 18 overseas trips in 18 months.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives at the APEC summit in San Francisco — and makes sure the official photographer takes a happy snap for him on his iPhone. pic.twitter.com/3bm96rlrFl

— Tom Minear (@tminear) November 16, 2023

You would have expected him to do anything to avoid appearing to enjoy the spotlight, mindful of not fuelling that fire.

To be fair to Albanese, skipping APEC was not an option, no matter what Peter Dutton says. Such summits are part of the prime ministerial job description, especially APEC as an Australian creation, and his rate of travel is comparable to his predecessors.

It was unfortunate San Francisco fell three weeks after Albanese’s trip to Washington DC, but combining the state visit with APEC did not fit with US President Joe Biden’s schedule.

However, for voters struggling with the cost of living, the Prime Minister’s photo op will look tone deaf. He promised to make their lives easier – they are still waiting for him to deliver.

Originally published as PM Anthony Albanese’s photo op at APEC that is tone deaf