Grattan on Friday: Albanese to hit campaign trail – for a Security Council seat

Like many of his predecessors, Anthony Albanese has grown to enjoy the international diplomatic round that goes with the prime minister’s job.

These days it’s quite a thing, with an extensive “summit season” that dominates the latter months of the year.

Summit season includes the international climate conference (COP), ASEAN, APEC and the G20 – a string of meetings where Albanese can rub shoulders with dozens of world leaders.

Ahead of the summits, he will be at the United Nations during leaders’ week in September.

That’s an excellent opportunity for a PM with lobbying on his mind.

Albanese, who’ll address the General Assembly for the second year running, will launch Australia’s bid for one of the non-permanent places on the UN Security Council in 2029–30.

If Australia can secure a seat it would be icing on the international cake for the Albanese government.

The council period would fall in a Labor third term which, given its huge majority and the chaos on the conservative side, appears a fair bet as things currently stand.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says: “At a time when the world is more contested and more uncertain, a seat on the Security Council would give Australia a stronger voice in the decisions that affect us and our region.

"As an active middle power, we have a practical contribution to make to international peace and security, standing up for the rules and working with others to deliver outcomes.” Labor places much more faith in the UN than the conservatives do, so obtaining that seat would be a high priority for Wong and Albanese.

Australia has had five stints on the Security Council: 1946–47, 1956–57, 1973–74, 1985–86 and 2013–14.

Norman Makin, Australia’s ambassador to the United States and a former Labor minister, was president at the council’s first session in 1946.

Norman Makin (left), with Senator Don Cameron, who were both sworn in as part of the Curtin Ministry on 7 October 1941.

Australian War Memorial The last time Australia had a seat turned out to be particularly significant, after the downing of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight over Ukraine by pro-Russian forces killed 38 Australian citizens and residents.