Peter FitzSimons’ shock suggestion for US Ambassador to interchange Kevin Rudd
Peter FitzSimons has floated a surprise contender for Australia’s next ambassador to the United States, suggesting former Opposition leader Peter Dutton should take the role.
FitzSimons said the idea made sense in the current political climate.
‘Let me float a name at you for new US Ambassador… How bout . . . Peter Dutton,’ he wrote social media.
He urged followers to ‘think about it,’ presenting it as a serious proposal.
‘Go from the realpolitik view of who might get cut-through in a Trumpian America, as appalling as that is,’ FitzSimons wrote.
Joe Hockey, who served as Australia’s US ambassador from 2016 to 2020, said it would be a ‘no-brainer’ for Albanese to appoint a former political foe in Dutton.
‘The Australian people would see it as smart and magnanimous,’ Hockey told Nine.
FitzSimons’ comments come after it was announced that former prime minister Kevin Rudd will step down as ambassador on March 31, a year earlier than expected.
Peter Fitzsimons (pictured with wife Lisa Wilkinson) called for Dutton be to US Ambassador
Dutton declined to comment when asked if he would consider the position.
Rudd’s resignation comes just months after President Donald Trump told him, ‘I don’t like you and I probably never will’ after he was confronted about Rudd’s past remarks.
Before becoming ambassador, Rudd had labelled Trump a ‘traitor to the West’ and a ‘village idiot,’ and described him as the ‘most destructive president in history’.
Rudd’s early departure has triggered speculation about who will take on the high-profile posting.
Former Labor MP Stephen Conroy, widely viewed as the frontrunner to replace Rudd, ruled himself out of contention on Wednesday.
Former Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has also been floated as a potential option, with government sources pointing to his experience — and his shared love of golf, a favourite pastime of the US president.
Meanwhile Daily Mail political editor Peter van Onselen has suggested several other names.
‘Former Liberal Party deputy and foreign minister Julie Bishop would be formidable in Washington. But it’s hard to see Albanese choosing her despite obvious competence,’ he said.
‘That said, Bishop’s recent criticisms of her own side of the political divide might help her case in the eyes of someone as partisan as Albanese.
FitzSimons said Peter Dutton (pictured) ‘might get cut-through in a Trumpian America’
‘Kristina Keneally could be a bolter for the job. She has one advantage Australian appointees often lack: KK can speak American at conversational speed. An accent that probably hurt her in Australian politics would be a bonus in Washington.
‘But Keneally has also been critical of Trump over the years, and despite her close friendship with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, she might not be at the top of Albanese’s list.’
Van Onselen also outlined who he thinks can be ruled out entirely.
‘It won’t be Scott Morrison, and everyone knows it – despite his strong relationship with Trump.
‘Ex-PMs don’t usually fill a role such as this, another reason Rudd was unusual. Besides, Morrison is making too much money trading off his connections via his international consultancy.
‘The role won’t go to an ex-sports star, so the likes of Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman can stand down. The same goes for celebrity types like Eddie McGuire or David Koch.’
Albanese will announce an appointment at a later date.
Rudd will take up the role of global president of the Asia Society think tank.
He will also lead the society’s Centre for China Analysis.
