Kevin Rudd has reportedly racked up a travel bill of more than $150,000 since beginning his post as Australian ambassador to the US.
Mr Rudd was appointed to the key diplomatic post by Anthony Albanese in 2022, but since then a senior Labor figure claimed he had become the government’s “ambassador to the world”. Herald Sun reported.
The former prime minister has traveled to Germany, Switzerland, Britain, Singapore and twice to Australia on taxpayers’ money.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has insisted that the trips have been in line with normal procedures and expectations.
His clear role has been to mingle with world leaders at international conferences and dialogues, with the Albanian government sending him in place of homegrown ministers.
Mr Rudd filled in for absent ministers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and the German Security Dialogue in Munich earlier this year, for a combined sum of $40,000.
His bill included $30,000 to travel to the North Marian Island in the Pacific Ocean, where he oversaw the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in June.
During a 26-day stay on home soil last year, Mr Rudd racked up a $13,647 bill on chauffeured vehicles while attending 98 rallies in five cities.
Kevin Rudd has reportedly racked up a travel bill of more than $150,000 since beginning his post as Australian ambassador to the US.
Within that time, he met with five state premiers, nine federal ministers and Mr Albanese.
Mr Rudd was visiting for general domestic talks and the annual AUSMIN forum between the Australian and US foreign and defense ministers.
In Britain, the US ambassador reportedly played a role in AUKUS meetings and the London Defense Conference.
A DFAT spokesperson said Rudd attended 17 meetings during his trip to Munich, along with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s current partner, Senator JD Vance.
In Switzerland, he held some 25 meetings with reportedly key U.S. government and congressional contacts on a range of global security and economic issues.
Opposition MP James Stevens criticized Mr Rudd’s travel expenses.
“Anthony Albanese’s call to appoint Kevin Rudd as Australia’s ambassador to the US was costly,” he said.
He claimed Mr Rudd has “lived a life of luxury and indulgence at the expense of the Australian taxpayer” – an accusation DFAT denies.
Mr Rudd was appointed to the top diplomatic post by Anthony Albanese in 2022, but a senior Labor figure has since claimed he had become the government’s “ambassador to the world”.
They insisted the busy diplomat’s travel was in line with normal procedures and cost guidelines.
The department has yet to process Mr Rudd’s costs for his AUKUS trip to Britain in May.
Mr Rudd reportedly footed the bill for his own flights and took leave while promoting his book The Avoidable War at a literary festival in Wales.
His next book about Chinese President Xi Jinping will hit shelves in October.
Daily Mail Australia contacted DFAT for comment.