- Greg Moriarty will replace Kevin Rudd
- Rudd to stand down in March
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that Greg Moriarty will replace Kevin Rudd as Australia’s next ambassador to the United States.
Albanese announced the decision during an appearance on Insiders on Sunday.
Moriarty has previously served as ambassador to Iran and Indonesia, held senior postings in Papua New Guinea, and in 2015 became Australia’s first counter‑terrorism coordinator.
Most recently, Moriarty served as Secretary of the Department of Defence, placing him at the centre of major policy developments, including AUKUS.
Albanese said this experience makes Moriarty ‘exceptionally well‑placed’ to manage the strategic, defence and diplomatic challenges of the role.
Moriarty also brings high‑level political and national security experience from his time as Chief of Staff to then‑prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2017, a period defined by significant defence and national security activity.
Before that, he served in Turnbull’s office as International and National Security Adviser.
Kevin Rudd will step down as Australia’s ambassador to the United States on March 31, ending his posting a year earlier than planned.
Kevin Rudd (pictured) will be replaced by diplomat Greg Moriarty in March
Rudd was appointed to the role in March 2023.
His previous comments, in which he labelled Donald Trump ‘the most destructive president in history’, resurfaced after Trump returned to office in 2024, putting renewed strain on relations despite Rudd’s efforts to mend ties.
That tension came to a head during an Oval Office exchange in 2025, when Trump told Rudd, ‘I don’t like you … and I probably never will.’
Unlike Rudd, Moriarty has no social media presence, so there are no concerns about old remarks resurfacing.
Moriarty’s experience as Chief of Staff under Turnbull has been seen as a bipartisan credential.
Albanese also confirmed that the Trump administration had been consulted on Moriarty’s appointment.
Albanese praised Rudd’s work in Washington.
‘And I think he can look back with real pride on taking AUKUS from an idea into a reality,’ he said.
Moriarty (pictured) is a career public servant who served as Malcolm Turnbull’s Chief of Staff
‘Also the critical minerals deals, the deals on superannuation investment in the US. And building real strong links at a leadership level between Australia and the US.’
During the interview, Albanese revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Australia and address Parliament in March.
