January 3, 2018

Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer has criticised the Trump administration's failure to appoint a new US ambassador to Australia, arguing the delay is now damaging the long-standing alliance.

The United States has been without an ambassador in Australia since September 2016 and Mr Fischer said the long wait was now "beyond acceptable" and bordering on a "diplomatic insult".

While there is bipartisan praise for James Caruso — who is acting in the role as Charge D'Affaires in the absence of a full-time ambassador — there are concerns the vacancy is adding to appearances of a strained diplomatic relationship.

"We had a saga of the refugee deal earlier last year and now the fallout from the correct diplomatic activity of Alexander Downer, so we're obviously not at the bottom of the list but we're near the bottom of the list," Mr Fischer told AM.

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-03/tim-fischer-criticises-trump-administration/9300920