Was Anthony Albanese addressing the UN recognising Palestine the reason he didn’t score an invite to meet US President Donald Trump? Photo: Anthony Albanese Facebook
Donald Trump has once again snubbed Anthony Albanese, and this time at the United Nations, with the US President leaving no room in his schedule for a face-to-face with Australia’s Prime Minister.
The White House has issued Mr Trump’s itinerary for the rest of his time at the UN General Assembly this week, which includes a number of bilateral meetings with other heads of government.
There is no mention on the schedule of Australia or a meeting with Mr Albanese.
The best chance the PM looks like getting of even saying a quick hello to the President is a possible handshake at a US-hosted reception being held at the gathering for more than 100 world leaders.
Mr Trump had previously cancelled a meeting with Mr Albanese at the G7 Summit in Canada in June.
The PM will then have to hang his hopes on a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of next month’s APEC Summit in South Korea.
This week’s snub, however, is being interpreted by some as Mr Trump’s reaction to Mr Albanese using the UN forum to declare Australia’s formal recognition of Palestine.
While not specifically mentioning Australia, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters covering the UN General Assembly that Mr Trump did not feel that the nations recognising Palestinian statehood were doing anything to release hostages in Gaza or end the conflict there.
“Frankly, he believes this is a reward to Hamas,” Ms Leavitt said.
“So he believes these decisions are just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies.”
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley took the unorthodox step of writing to US Republicans to “reassure” them that a future Coalition government in Australia would withdraw recognition of a Palestinian state.
Ms Ley said the same during a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has accused Ms Ley of going rogue and running her own foreign policy.
She said the Opposition Leader was not acting in Australia’s best interests and had abandoned the importance of diplomatic bipartisanship.
“It is possible to back Australia and still be an effective Opposition,” Senator Wong said during an ABC interview.
“And really, it’s time that Ms Ley and the Liberals understood that.
“We know we’re strongest when we speak with one voice. We all understand that as Australians, and the Opposition should understand that too.”
Liberal Senator and former diplomat Dave Sharma, however, described it as “perfectly appropriate” for oppositions to have relationships with parliamentary counterparts around the world.
“It’s the Labor government that has overturned decades of bipartisan foreign policy consensus on how a Palestinian state should come about,” he said.
“It’s not the Liberals, it’s Labor that’s done that.”
The Opposition says Mr Albanese’s failure to secure a meeting with the US President is embarrassing for Australia.
“I think it’s very embarrassing,” Liberal Senator and shadow minister Andrew Bragg told Channel Nine.
“Australia has been treated like a piece of dirt by this [US] administration.”
On the other hand, Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite has interpreted the Trump snub as a sign of a strong and healthy bilateral relationship.
“I think we should see this as a good thing,” Mr Thistlethwaite told Sky News.
“It means that the President, who’s been meeting with world leaders to try and reach agreements on trade policy, is trying to do deals with other nations around tariffs and trade policy.
“He doesn’t need to do that with Australia … What we’ve got here is Australia getting a good deal out of the United States, when it comes to trade policy, so there’s no need for any further follow-up meeting.
“I think it’s a sign that the relationship between Australia and the United States is strong.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has played down the President’s snub of the PM, saying there will no doubt be a face-to-face meeting between the two soon.
Mr Albanese did get to have a one-on-one chat with French President Emmanuel Macron.
