Julie Bishop has come under fire for fawning over ‘charming, delightful and very intelligent’ Ivanka Trump after meeting the US president’s daughter at the UN.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs lead the Australian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull opted not to attend.
Ms Bishop posted a photo of herself sharing a laugh with ‘first daughter’ Ivanka after the pair sat down on Wednesday to discuss human trafficking, forced labour and modern slavery.
The post was met with distaste from her followers who claimed the meeting was ‘an unbelievable waste of taxpayer money’.
Ms Bishop posted a photo to Twitter of herself sharing a laugh with ‘first daughter’ Ivanka Trump after the pair sat down on Wednesday
‘What an unbelievable waste of my taxpayer money. This is the best you could find to talk about such an important issue with?’ one woman said
‘This is the best you could find to talk about such an important issue with?’ one woman said.
‘With all due respect, she was not elected and does not belong there with you,’ another said.
‘Respect is earned and Ivanka Trump hasn’t earned mine. I don’t believe she offers Australia any value. Shame really, she had a chance to make a difference,’ a third critic said.
The comments took a nasty turn when one Twitter user said: ‘Really dislike our pollies wasting time talking to a spoilt rich girl, whose only reason for being in politics is her daddy’.
‘Breaking: Australian Foreign Minister meets handbag designer,’ another said.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Ms Bishop gushed about the first daughter, who holds the official title of senior adviser to the president.
‘A moment of national embarrassment for Australia,’ one critic said after the meeting
The photo of the pair was met with distaste from Ms Bishop’s followers who said: ‘What an unbelievable wast of my taxpayer money’
‘Breaking: Australian Foreign Minister meets handbag designer,’ another critic said
‘She’s charming, delightful, very intelligent and a committed young woman and I’m very pleased to get to know her,’ Ms Bishop said.
‘And to be part of opportunities her foundation and the US administration, more generally, may have in working with Australia on these issues of ending modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking, but also more positive areas like promoting female entrepreneurship,’ Ms Bishop told reporters.’
The Foreign Minister also spoke to President Donald Trump at a UN luncheon in New York on Tuesday, shortly after the president’s fiery speech to the General Assembly.
She posted a photo on Twitter with her partner David Panton, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
She is due to deliver Australia’s address to the UN General Assembly on Friday (Saturday 2am AEST).
Ms Bishop posted a photo on Twitter with partner David Panton, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump
The Minister for Foreign Affairs lead the Australian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week
Ms Bishop also caught up with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on Tuesday evening where they discussed ‘the current circumstances facing the Korean peninsula, North Korea’s continued violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions’.
President Trump is threatening to pull the US out of the Iran nuclear deal former US president Barack Obama negotiated when he was in the White House.
Ms Bishop said Australia would wait to hear what President Trump’s final decision was on the Iran deal,.
‘We are of course committed to ensuring Iran takes responsibility as a significant power in the Middle East for peace, stability and security and does not add in anyway to the instability in the region,’ she said.