Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to fly to San Francisco for a high-level Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering is under scrutiny, with claims his focus should be domestic issues.
The APEC meeting is making global headlines for the highly anticipated meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, but Albanese’s decision to attend has raised eyebrows in Australia.
Trade, the digital economy and climate change are expected to be on the prime minister’s agenda during the event.
Global relations expert Peter Jennings, from the think tank Strategic Analysis Australia, told The Australian the federal government could instead be represented in San Francisco by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles or Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“Typically, I support the prime minister travelling, but on this occasion, I’d say he should stay at home,” he said.
Albanese returned just this week from a landmark trip to China, where he met Xi.
On the way back to Canberra, he stopped off at the Cook Islands for a Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit.
Those journeys came after the prime minister’s state visit to the US for talks with Biden in September.
They triggered headlines of “Airbus Albo” from some media outlets and political opponents who’ve sought to contrast the globe-trotting prime minister with the cost-of-living crisis in Australia.
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton joined the fray today, saying Albanese should not be travelling to the US while the government grapples with the release of asylum seeker detainees following a High Court ruling.
The decision overturned a nearly 20-year precedent that allowed Australia to indefinitely detain asylum seekers who failed character assessments but were unable to be deported.
They include three murderers, several sexual offenders and an alleged hitman from Malaysia.
Dutton said Albanese should not go to the APEC meeting until the issue is dealt with.
Biden’s meeting with Xi is the main event of his four-day visit to San Francisco, where leaders from the 21 economies that make up APEC are gathering for their annual summit.
The US president said his goal for the talks is simply to try to get Washington-Beijing communications back on stable ground after a tumultuous year.
“Being able to pick up the phone and talk to one another if there’s a crisis. Being able to make sure our militaries still have contact with one another,” Biden said before leaving the White House.
– Reported with Associated Press
