Opposition Scores FM Rudd’s Travel Spending and Agenda
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd's globetrotting ways in the past nine months have racked up a travelling cost of more than $1 million, which so far exceeded the expenditures posted by his more high-profile counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
According to a Wednesday report by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Rudd is now regarded as one of the most travelled foreign minister in the world as he carries out his duties of representing Australia's interest before the international community.
Amidst insinuations that he may be spending too much taxpayers' money to finance his activities, Mr Rudd flew out again on Wednesday to Mexico and the United States, purportedly to work for the country's economic and political agenda at the North American region.
Foreign Ministry officials told the Australian Associated Press (AAP) that Mr Rudd's visit to Mexico marks his first bilateral stop on that country, which will be followed by equally important missions in America.
In Washington, Mr Rudd is scheduled to participate in the first World Bank-sponsored G20 conference geared for development and finance ministers of member nations, while on the side, he was said to be campaigning for Australia to win a seat on the UN Security Council.
From the East Coast, Mr Rudd will proceed to the West, where according to Foreign Ministry officials, he is set to deliver a speech on a forum about the economy and women.
Despite the travelling requirements of his job, the opposition Liberal Party raised question on why the Foreign Minister appears to be focusing too much on his European and Middle East agendas, two regions that he visited extensively during the past months, and neglecting Australia's nearest neighbours.
Mr Rudd's numerous trips abroad is perfectly understandable, according to Liberal backbencher Jamie Briggs, but the senior minister, he added, shouldn't be looking too far in dispensing his duties.
"He has travelled extensively in Europe and in the Middle East ... but he has not travelled to Malaysia, he hasn't travelled to East Timor, he hasn't travelled to the region," Briggs was quoted by AAP as saying.
It would be more acceptable if Mr Rudd would rationalise his travelling expenses and fine-tune his agenda, Briggs said as he stressed that the former Prime Minister should avoid competing with Clinton or American real estate mogul Donald Trump.