Airbus Albo has not been afraid to rack up travel time on overseas flights for all types of trips since becoming prime minister. But next week he should board his private plane and head to Washington for Donald Trump’s inauguration.
On Monday, January 20 (Tuesday, January 21, Australian time) Trump will be confirmed as the 47th president of the United States.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, and the United States Ambassador, Kevin Rudd, will be present.
While it is unusual for a Prime Minister to also attend such an event and therefore there is nothing diplomatically wrong with Anthony Albanese’s decision to stay home, he should consider going anyway.
He needs to curry favor with the returning president.
It is well known that Trump is not a fan of Ambassador Rudd. Even Albo has made some selective criticisms of Trump in the past. Many politicians around the world have done the same, so you’re in good company. But bothering to attend the inauguration would help overcome past slights.
The reason Albanese might be worth reconsidering his plans to sit out next week’s presidential inauguration is because Trump has unprecedented ambitions to impose new rules on global trade. The higher tariffs will affect most nations, including Australia.
A strong relationship between Albanese and Trump could go a long way toward tempering those plans.
Donald and Melania Trump at his inauguration in 2017 when he was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. He will be sworn in as the 47th president on January 21.
New tariffs would seriously harm a trade-dependent nation like ours. Despite reports that Trump’s advisers are looking to scale back such plans in the coming months, the incoming president has used social media to reconfirm his commitment.
Last week, in Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The Washington Post story, which cites so-called anonymous sources, which do not exist, incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be reduced.” That’s wrong.’
It would seem that Trump is unwilling to address this issue, at least so far.
Kissing Trump’s hand may not suit Albo’s sensibilities, but it could help mitigate the likelihood of any plan damaging the Australian economy.
John Howard did not attend any of George W. Bush’s inaugurations even though the couple became very close over the years. In fact, I can’t think of many examples where Australian prime ministers have attended presidential inaugurations, certainly not in modern history.
But the times we live in are unusual, and beginning Trump’s second four-year term with a gesture of goodwill and assistance could pay dividends for Australia. If not on the question of tariffs, perhaps in a broader sense.
However, I suspect the Prime Minister is too busy to consider such a move, as he is already using the month of January to campaign across the country ahead of what appears to be a close election race.
He has already spent time in the key states of Queensland and WA, with the expectation of calling the election soon after WA voters go to the polls on March 8. Albo will not want to interrupt that flow with a trip abroad.

Just as former Labor Minister and High Commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith stepped back from his plans to boycott an Australia Day event, Albanese (above) should reconsider and attend Trump’s inauguration.
The smart bet is on elections scheduled for April 12, which would delay the March budget until after the elections. A measure that some consider deliberate to avoid having to deliver a budget full of debt and previously unforeseen growing deficits.
Given that the next few months will be dominated by the domestic political campaign, the opportunity to sit down in person with Trump while he is in the United States would be a diplomatic coup for Albo.
Instead, Wong and Rudd hope to spend some time on the sidelines with Trump officials, scavenging for scraps.
Just as former Labor Minister and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Stephen Smith backtracked on his plans to boycott an Australia Day event, Albo should reconsider and attend Trump’s inauguration.
Smith’s planned snub in the UK was an act of stupidity. Changing your mind was about correcting the mistake.
A step back from Albo would be a more positive and proactive move, sending the message to Trump’s team that, if re-elected, the Labor government hopes to develop close relations with the new US administration. And the prime minister wants to personally build with a Republican president the kind of relationship that Labor’s Bob Hawke managed to establish with George Bush Sr. after he won the 1988 US presidential election.
In other words, put aside partisan differences to build a personal relationship for the benefit of Australia.