Best of 2025 - Albanese and Rudd sold out freedom of the press this week |
Many Australian journalists think Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ambassador Kevin Rudd did a wonderful job this week in handling the corrupt narcissist who runs the United States, Donald Trump.
A repost from 23 october 2025
Of course, forelock tugging to monarchs is an essential in the Australian political leaders’ toolbox (former prime ministers Paul Keating and Gough Whitlam excepted).
But not only did the two of them diminish themselves and Australia — the world’s view that we are the 51st state (albeit we might technically be 52 – behind Israel) was well and truly reinforced — but they were prepared to sell out a core value, freedom of the press and opposition to censorship in doing do so.
The decision, obviously initiated by the vengeful Trump and happily acquiesced to by the incrementalist and timid prime minister we have, that ensured the celebrated ABC journalist John Lyons was not in the press pool for the circus in the White House on Monday, did not seem to bother Albanese or Rudd.
That Lyons, the ABC’s head in Washington, was not allowed to attend the meeting must be unprecedented. Who can remember the last time a........