He’s a former prime minister and diplomat, and as he famously said in 2007, “I’m from Queensland, and I’m here to help.” Kevin Rudd continues the recent trend of appointing notable former politicians to the post of Australia’s ambassador to the US. He’ll replace former Liberal Senator/chief-of-staff to John Howard Arthur Sinodinos, who replaced former Liberal Treasurer Joe Hockey, who replaced former Labor leader Kim Beazley. It’s a plum posting, but it’s not a cushy job… There’s AUKUS, countering China in our region, and maintaining good vibes with America as our “closest global partner”. Given all that, PM Anthony Albanese says Rudd “brings unmatched experience to the role.” But he does have some baggage… Rudd has been critical of former US president Donald Trump, who might run again. And he’s not a fan of US-based media company News Corp, which is big in the US… Rudd says he’s “honoured” to get the job, and the Coalition has also given it a thumbs up.