The Government will recommend to the Governor-General a 12-month extension to the term of the current Australian Ambassador to the United States of America, His Excellency the Hon Kim Beazley AC.
Mr Beazley has served with distinction as Australian Ambassador to the USA since 2010. He will continue in his post until December 2015.
Mr Beazley has made an enormous contribution to public life including as Federal Leader of the Opposition and Minister for Defence, Minister for Transport and Communications, Minister for Finance and Minister for Employment, Education and Training in the Hawke and Keating Governments.
Australia is lucky to have such a distinguished representative in the USA and the Australia-US relationship is the stronger for Mr Beazley’s presence. I thank Mr Beazley for agreeing to continue in his post.
The Government will also recommend to the Governor-General that Ms Gillian Bird PSM be appointed the Australian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Australia has a demonstrated commitment to the United Nations spanning more than 65 years and is currently one of the countries elected to serve on the United Nations Security Council.
Ms Bird is a Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and most recently served as Australia’s first Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a position she held between 2008 and 2013.
Since joining DFAT in 1980, Ms Bird has amassed extensive experience in the South and South-East Asia Division, International Organisations and Legal Division, Peace, Arms Control and Disarmament Branch and the Executive Branch of DFAT.
Ms Bird was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2012 for outstanding public service in the field of international relations.
Ms Bird will replace His Excellency Gary Quinlan and take up the appointment in January 2015.
I would like to thank Mr Quinlan for his service as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position he has held since 2009.
Mr Quinlan has done an excellent job during Australia’s term on the United Nations Security Council.
11 June 2014