Since winning the election on May 21, Mr Albanese has travelled more than 45,000km overseas.
After spending a third of his brief tenure as prime minister abroad, Anthony Albanese has retaliated against claims that he is overly preoccupied with global affairs.
After a nine-day vacation to Europe, Mr. Albanese arrived in Perth on Tuesday to a barrage of inquiries about his travels.
He asserted, fending off criticism that he wasn’t working hard enough: “I haven’t taken a day off in a very long time.” he said.
Senior Liberals Dan Tehan and Angus Taylor have criticized Mr. Albanese for being abroad while deadly floods struck NSW at the weekend, forcing thousands of people to evacuate.
Anthony Albanese disembarks the plane on arrival in Perth after his Europe trip
However, Mr. Albanese claimed that it was crucial for him to represent the country at a NATO conference in Spain and defended his interactions with the presidents of France and Ukraine in Paris and Kiev.
‘I attended the NATO summit, which was important. It was important that Australia be represented there,’ he said on the tarmac at Perth Airport.
‘It was important that we deal with the relationship with France and Europe, and I believe that my visit to Ukraine was important to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
‘We cannot separate international events from the impact on Australia and Australians.’
‘I have attended the Quad leaders meeting, the day after the election. It was not a decision of mine to hold the election on May 21, that was a decision of the former Prime Minister.’
He added: ‘People want to argue that I’m not working hard, they can argue their case.’
