Wong Signals Shift in Diplomatic Appointments with Weatherill to London, But Political ‘Carpetbagging’ Persists
LONDON/CANBERRA – Former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill is set to become Australia’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced today, marking the latest appointment in a continuing debate over political patronage within Australia’s diplomatic corps. While the appointment continues a tradition of former politicians filling the prestigious London post, it arrives amid a broader effort by Wong to reduce the reliance on ex-politicians in key overseas roles.
The appointment follows the departure of George Brandis,and echoes a pattern seen with previous premiers: Mike Rann,also from South Australia,served in London from 2012 until the change in government in 2013,subsequently transitioning to the role of Australia’s representative to Rome after Alexander Downer replaced him. Traditionally, Australia House has been a landing spot for seasoned politicians, but the role hasn’t been exclusively reserved for them. A Lowy Institute Diplomatic Database reveals that qualified senior officials like Michael L’Estrange, John Dauth, and Philip Flood have also held the position in recent decades.
However, a meaningful imbalance remains. Since 1974, the High Commissioner role has never been held by a woman, nor has the position of Ambassador to the United States. This reality, as noted in commentary, leads some to describe the situation with the acronym “PSM” – a sardonic reference to “pale, stale, and male” within the Australian bureaucratic landscape.
Wong’s efforts to address this imbalance are showing some aggregate success. During the 2010s, under the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, the number of former politicians in diplomatic positions swelled to nearly 50% higher than ancient averages, reaching around 10 individuals across posts in Singapore, Wellington, The Hague, Ottawa, Tokyo, New Delhi, and at UN headquarters.
Despite Weatherill’s appointment, Wong has also appointed five other politicians to ambassadorial roles: Kevin Rudd in Washington, Keith Pitt to the Holy See, Stephen Jones to the OECD, and Michelle O’Byrne as Ambassador for Gender Equality. She has also drawn heavily from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, appointing over 100 diplomats from within its ranks.
The ongoing tension highlights a fundamental question: how to balance the potential benefits of political experience with the need for a professional, diverse, and merit-based diplomatic service. While the “political carpetbagging” Wong aims to roll back hasn’t been entirely eliminated, the current management’s appointments suggest a purposeful, if gradual, shift towards a more traditionally staffed diplomatic network.
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