Kevin Rudd has reportedly racked up a journey invoice of greater than $150,000 because the starting of his posting as Australian ambassador to the US.
Mr Rudd was slotted into the important thing diplomatic submit by Anthony Albanese in 2022, however since then a senior Labor determine claimed he had grow to be the federal government’s ‘ambassador to the world,’ the Herald Solar reported.
The previous prime minister has travelled to Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Singapore and twice to Australia on the taxpayer’s greenback.
The Division of Overseas Affairs and Commerce has insisted the travels have been according to regular procedures and expectations.
His obvious function has been to combine and mingle with world leaders at worldwide conferences and dialogues, with the Albanese authorities sending him as a substitute of ministers from dwelling soil.
Mr Rudd crammed the footwear of absent authorities ministers on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, Switzerland, and Germany’s Munich Safety Dialogue earlier this yr, at a mixed price of $40,000.
His invoice included $30,000 to journey to the Northern Marian Island within the Pacific the place he oversaw the discharge of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in June.
Throughout a 26-day stint on dwelling soil final yr, Mr Rudd ran up a $13,647 tab on chauffeured autos whereas he attended 98 conferences throughout 5 cities.
Kevin Rudd has reportedly racked up a journey invoice of greater than $150,000 because the starting of his posting as Australian ambassador to the US
Inside that point he met with 5 state premiers, 9 federal ministers and Mr Albanese.
Mr Rudd was visiting for normal home talks and the annual AUSMIN discussion board between the Australian and American overseas and defence ministers.
In the UK, the US ambassador reportedly performed a task in AUKUS conferences and the London Defence Convention.
A DFAT spokesman mentioned Mr Rudd attended 17 conferences in his journey to Munich alongside US Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s now-running mate Senator JD Vance.
In Switzerland, he held some 25 conferences with reportedly key US governmental and congressional contacts on a spread of world safety and financial points.
Opposition MP James Stevens criticised Mr Rudd’s journey bills.
‘Anthony Albanese’s captain’s name to nominate Kevin Rudd as Australia’s ambassador to the US was a expensive one,’ he mentioned.
He claimed Mr Rudd has been ‘dwelling a lifetime of luxurious and indulgence on the Australian taxpayer’s expense’ – an accusation DFAT denies.
His invoice included $30,000 to journey to the Northern Marian Island within the Pacific the place he oversaw the discharge of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in June
They maintained the busy diplomat’s journey has been according to regular procedures and price pointers.
The division continues to be but to course of Mr Rudd’s prices for his AUKUS journey to the UK in Might.
Mr Rudd reportedly footed the invoice for his personal flights and took depart whereas selling his ebook The Avoidable Struggle at a literary pageant in Wales.
His subsequent ebook on Chinese language President Xi Jinping is ready to hit cabinets in October.
Day by day Mail Australia contacted DFAT for remark.
