The Albanese government’s embattled ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, spent an eye-watering $24,000 on a single day in Washington.
The total figure spent by Mr Rudd in the past financial year came in $172,000.
The delegate spent $24,000 AUD on breakfasts, morning teas, dinners, and a large reception at his Washington, DC residence in a tax bill lodged on October 1, 2023.
The bill for Aussie taxpayers has been revealed after it was released to The Daily Telegraph under Freedom of Information Laws.
But many of the details of who Mr Rudd actually met were redacted from the expenses, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade saying their publication would have a ‘substantial adverse effect on the proper and efficient conduct of the operations of an agency’.
The $17,000 190-person reception at Mr Rudd’s home on October 1 was held ‘in honour of the US-Pacific Island Countries Leader’s Summit’.
Pacific leaders were in town for the summit, hosted by US President Joe Biden.
Taxpayers also paid for Mr Rudd’s wife, Therese Rein, to visit the National Gallery of Art with the Pacific Islands First Ladies in September.
The total figure spent by Mr Rudd (pictured with US President Joe Biden) in the past financial year came in at roughly $172,000
Anthony Albanese (pictured) has previously expressed his support for Mr Rudd as Australia’s ambassador to the US after growing speculation he may be forced out of the role early
Mr Rudd (pictured) has previously been described as Australia’s ‘ambassador to the world’
The former prime minister has come under fire in the past for his eye-watering expenses.
In September it emerged Mr Rudd had racked up a travel bill of more than $150,000 since he was elected to the key diplomatic post in 2022.
He has been described as Australia’s ‘ambassador to the world,’ filling the shoes of absent government ministers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and Germany’s Munich Security Dialogue in 2023, at a combined cost of $40,000.
As Mr Rudd passes the halfway point of his four-year term as ambassador to the US, there’s been speculation he may be forced out of the role early.
Mr Rudd previously called Donald Trump a ‘traitor to the West’, and a ‘village idiot,’ and described him as the ‘most destructive president in history’ – comments he has since deleted from social media.
In response, Trump said before his re-election that Rudd was ‘nasty’ and he would not last long in the role if he returned to the White House.
Trump would not be able to act on his desire to ‘fire’ Rudd, however.
Only the Australian Government can recall one of its ambassadors and both Mr Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton have expressed their support.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.
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