Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has cast aside criticism about his jam-packed travel schedule – sitting next to US President Joe Biden at the APEC summit.
Mr Albanese pulled up a prime seat next to the President on Friday AEST, having developed a solid relationship with Mr Biden during his 18 months in office.
The cordial meetings between national leaders from across the globe seemed a world away from the situation Mr Albanese left behind in Australia when he flew to San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon.
Off the back of a controversial High Court decision which saw 84 asylum seekers – some of whom are ‘hardened criminals’ – walk free from indefinite detention, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton tried to persuade Mr Albanese to cancel the trip and remain in parliament to pass legislation which would resolve the matter.
The request put Mr Albanese in a tough position.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has cast aside criticism about his jam-packed travel schedule as he sits alongside US President Joe Biden for the APEC summit
The cordial meetings between national leaders from across the globe were far removed from the situation Mr Albanese left behind in Australia when he flew to San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Peru’s President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra pose for a ‘family photo’
On one hand, no PM with the exception of Julia Gillard had ever missed the APEC summit since its inception – and Ms Gillard only because her father had died.
But on the other, there was a clear crisis brewing at home and the optics of Mr Albanese leaving overseas again, while parliament was still sitting, were not ideal.
In the end, Mr Albanese refused Mr Dutton’s demand and legislation was passed in the Prime Minister’s absence, with new rules for asylum seekers released as a result of the High Court decision.
The Greens slammed the bill in a succession of scathing speeches in the Senate on Thursday night.
Mr Albanese justified his decision to fly out of Australia in a short video message shared on Thursday.
He said: ‘At a time of global uncertainty it is important that I’m here at APEC. An economic forum.. is so important. Our major trading partners are here.
‘One in four Australian jobs depends upon our trade, and an enormous proportion of that trade is represented here at APEC.’
He went on to say that his eye is ‘always on Australia’s national interest and economic interest, which is what these forums are about’.
On the back of a controversial High Court decision which saw 84 asylum seekers – some of whom are ‘hardened criminals’ – walk free from indefinite detention, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton tried to persuade Mr Albanese to cancel the trip and remain in parliament to pass legislation which would resolve the matter
Mr Albanese pulled up a prime seat next to the President on Friday AEST, having developed a solid relationship with Mr Biden during his 18 months in office
Mr Albanese sat down with Canada ‘s Justin Trudeau to discuss climate change and the crises in Ukraine and Gaza
The PM also had the support of his party. Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles defended Mr Albanese’s travels during Question Time on Thursday.
‘We make no apology for the fact that we are engaging with the world. What we inherited when we came to power in May of this year was the worst circumstances in terms of our global relations that this country has ever faced,’ he said.
‘We had the situation with our largest trading partner where there was no contact whatsoever. With the country about whom we have the greatest security anxiety there was no formal defence dialogue in place at all.
‘What the government has done is that we have been out there; we have been out there in a way which has made sure that our country is safer, our national security is improved and our trade is improved.
‘When the Prime Minister was in the United States and when the Prime Minister was in China, he was there representing Australian working people and creating Australian jobs by getting trade back in place, and that’s exactly what he is doing in San Francisco right now.’
Mr Albanese last saw President Biden just three weeks ago, when the Bidens held a state dinner in the Australian PM‘s honour during a trip to Washington.
Mr Albanese justified his decision in a short video message to the Australian public and shared on Thursday
The PM has made four trips in four weeks – twice to the United States, once to China and then to the Cook Islands
The PM has made four trips in four weeks – twice to the United States, once to China and then to the Cook Islands.
It is understood he made concerted efforts to align his recent Washington trip with APEC, but President Biden’s schedule could not accommodate the request.
But critics say the prime minister’s focus should be on the crises at home – both the High Court decision and the crushing cost-of-living crisis.
Everyday Australians are struggling to pay their mortgages and rents, fill their petrol tanks or even buy a trolley of groceries, and all the while interest rates are soaring.
Mr Albanese was all smiles at APEC, seen in photographs laughing alongside President Biden and other world leaders.
He is understood to have also spoken again with Chinese president Xi Jinping, and sat down with Canada‘s Justin Trudeau.
He and Mr Trudeau discussed climate change, referencing the risk of bushfires here in Australia this summer after Canada’s own horror fire season.
‘We have all the conditions that were there prior to 2019-20,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘Indeed, the fact that that period has gone means you’ve got the growth that is just about the right size, elements, conditions to really be concerned with. Very dry, hot period coming up for us.’
On the Hamas-Israel conflict, the prime minister said Australia remained concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with a lasting peace needed.
Mr Albanese met with Microsoft boss Satya Nadella upon his arrival in San Francisco.
Also on the agenda were talks with Californian Governor Gavin Newsom and US investment BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink.
After calling time on Question Time on Wednesday, the PM was pictured making a dash for the airport, where he was seen boarding his plane to San Francisco
Pictured: White House Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry talks with Australia’s Anthony Albanese
International trips taken by PMs
Anthony Albanese has been criticised for his overseas trips. See how they stack up.
The record for most trips abroad by a Prime Minister during their first 12 months in office was set by Kevin Rudd in 2008, but later matched by Tony Abbott and exceeded by Scott Morrison.
Anthony Albanese
2022
Japan (May 23 – 25)
Indonesia (June 5 – 7)
United Arab Emirates (June 27)
Spain (June 27 – July 1)
France (July 1 – 2)
Ukraine (July 3 – 4)
Fiji (July 13 – 14)
United Kingdom (September 16 – 20)
Japan (September 26 – 28)
Cambodia (November 11 – 14)
Indonesia (November 14 – 17)
Thailand (November 17 – 19)
2023
Papua New Guinea (January 12 – 13)
India (March 8 – 11)
United States (March 11 – 14)
Fiji (March 15)
United Kingdom (May 3 – 6)
Japan (May 19 – 21)
Singapore (June 1 – 2)
Vietnam (June 3 – 4)
Germany (July 10)
Lithuania (July 11 – 12)
New Zealand (July 26 – 27)
Indonesia (September 6 – 7)
Phillipines (September 7 – 8)
India (September 9 – 10)
United States (October 23 – 26)
China (November 4 – 7)
Cook Islands (November 8 – 11)
United States (November 15 – 18)
Scott Morrison
2018
Indonesia (August 31 – September 1)
Singapore (November 13 – 15)
Papua New Guinea (November 17 – 19)
Argentina (November 30 – Dec 2)
Iraq (December 20)
2019
Vanuatu (January 15 – 16)
Fiji (January 17 – 18)
New Zealand (February 22)
New Zealand (March 29)
Solomon Islands (June 2 – 3)
United Kingdom (June 4 – 6)
Singapore (June 7)
Japan (June 27 – 29)
Tuvalu (August 14 – 16)
Vietnam (August 22 – 24)
France (August 24 – 26)
East Timor (August 30 – 31)
United States (September 19 – 27)
Fiji (October 11 – 12)
Indonesia (October 19 – 20)
Thailand (November 3 – 4)
United States (December 16 – 21)
2020
Japan (November 17 – 18)
2021
New Zealand (May 30 – 31)
Singapore (June 10)
United Kingdom (June 11 – 15)
France (June 15)
United States (September 21 – 27)
Italy (October 30 – 31)
United Kingdom (November 1 – 2)
While Mr Albanese’s extensive itinerary has garnered the most attention since Kevin Rudd was dubbed ‘Kevin 747’, evidence suggests he actually jet-sets no more than his predecessors