Australia’s New Ambassador to Washington Scolds U.S. for Throwing Allies ‘Under a Bus’

Australia’s incoming ambassador to the United States, left-wing former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has lectured America to stop throwing foreign allies “under a bus” on trade and economic issues in Asia.

The soon-to-be diplomat, who once sought the job of U.N. secretary general only to be famously dismissed as “not well-suited” to the position, spoke as part of a critique of past, present and future U.S. foreign policy in the disputed Indo-Pacific region.

Rudd will take up his Washington, DC, posting in March and used an interview with Bloomberg to accuse the U.S. of operating with “one arm tied behind its back” in Asia because it had neglected  trade in favour of a narrow focus on defence and national security.

“For the future, what is the missing elements in U.S. grand strategy? It’s called the economy, stupid,” Rudd told Bloomberg TV, seizing on an observation attributed to former Bill Clinton adviser James Carville.

“You cannot continue to assume that there’ll be collective solidarity on security questions, but on the economy, the United States is happy to throw some of its allies under a bus.”

Rudd qualified his directions for future U.S. foreign policy by saying he was speaking as president of the Asia Society and had not begun his ambassadorial role, telling the outlet it was “three months before I turn into a pumpkin.”

Advice for the U.S. from the enthusiastic globalist didn’t end there.

Rudd further observed the U.S. political class was now dominated by an “overriding protectionist sentiment” but urged Congress to do more to open American markets to allies in Asia and Europe.

The speed with which the former Australian Labor Party leader stumbled into the spotlight to politicize his new posting, after being appointed just before Christmas, drew a rapid response in Australia.

The AAP news service reports opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham criticised Rudd for the comments, accusing him of engaging in “opinionated lecturing” before he lands in his new ambassadorial role.

“I doubt many will see Kevin Rudd’s tone as an encouraging start to a role that requires both deft handling and policy smarts,” he said.

Birmingham predicted the “discouraging” start required “deft handling and policy smarts” from Canberra.

“Is this tone sanctioned by Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese or have they already had to counsel Dr Rudd about his approach?” he said in a statement calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to act.

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