19 hours ago
Is this why Trump still hasn't met Anthony Albanese? Shocking details emerge about Albo's big fail while overseas
Anthony Albanese is under fire for his 'passive' approach to the US relationship, after he missed out on opportunities to meet both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Albanese was stood up by the US President at the G7 Summit in Canada, and instead met with Trump's senior economic team on Wednesday AEST.
Trump left the summit early due to the Israel-Iran conflict, scotching planned meeting with several world leaders including Albanese, who has only ever spoken to him on the phone.
The cancelled meeting was a crucial blow for Albanese as he tries to shore up the AUKUS deal, now under review by the US, and to negotiate an exemption or easing of tariffs on Australian goods.
There was pressure on the prime minister to negotiate an exemption from the tariffs: a 50 per cent levy on Aussie aluminium and steel products sent to the US, and a baseline 10 per cent levy on other goods.
This week's snub was not the first time Albanese has missed out on talks with his US counterparts. The prime minister refused to meet JD Vance last month during his visit to Rome for the Pope's inauguration.
When asked at the time why he did not meet with Vance, Albanese said he would only meet with Trump, not the vice president.
'I'm the prime minister, I meet the president of the United States, and that will occur at an appropriate time,' he said.
Trump left the summit early due to the Israel-Iran conflict, scotching planned meeting with several world leaders including Albanes
Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie said Albanese wasn't making enough effort to improve relations with what he called Australia's closest ally.
'The prime minister's approach has been passive and lethargic towards the relationship,' he told Sky News.
'This is the wrong approach towards President Trump, who values a personal connection more than formal diplomatic channels.'
It comes after Natalia Barr grilled Foreign Minister Penny Wong over the missed opportunity on Thursday.
'Our prime minister is now eyeing up a trip to the Netherlands next week with hopes he might be able to line up a second date with the president, that's after the president stood him up in Canada,' Barr said.
'Is the PM going to chase him around the world?'
'Can I just put a bit of perspective here, Nat?' Wong replied.
'The president left the G7 because of the war in the Middle East.
'Now, I know we all want to think it's about us, but he left the G7 because of the war in the Middle East and he was unable as a consequence, not only to not have a bilateral meeting with the prime minister, but with (Indian) Prime Minister Modi, (and) with the president of South Korea.'
Albanese might get another chance to meet Trump in person within days.
The White House confirmed this month that Trump will attend the NATO Summit in the Netherlands next week, though his presence may now be in doubt because of the rapidly changing situation in the Middle East.
Asked on Wednesday if he would also attend, Albanese said: 'I'm considering (it).'
