Julie Bishop has described Kevin Rudd as qualified to be a candidate for the United Nations secretary general position a day after treasurer, Scott Morrison, scorned his suitability for the role.

Although the foreign affairs minister did not endorse the former Labor prime minister, she said his qualifications were similar to other candidates.

“I believe that as the other candidates are former leaders, former prime ministers, former foreign ministers of their country, then he is qualified to be a candidate,” she said.

Twelve candidates have signalled their interest in the position, including the director general of Unesco, Irina Bokova, the former New Zealand prime minister and UN development program administrator, Helen Clark, and the former UN climate change commissioner, Christiana Figueres.



One of the stronger favourites is António Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister who served as the UN high commissioner for refugees for 10 years.

An Essential poll in April showed twice as many Australians supported Clark for the job over Rudd.

Cabinet will discuss Rudd’s possible nomination later this week but Bishop told the party room that a nomination was not the same as an endorsement – that it was possible to nominate Rudd without actively campaigning for him.

Sections of the cabinet are vehemently opposed to Rudd’s nomination, including the immigration minister, Peter Dutton.

Asked whether the issue might split cabinet, the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said cabinet would consider the issue on Thursday.

“While I know it’s a matter of great interest in the media, can I just say this, with all due respect to Mr Rudd it isn’t the most important issue confronting the cabinet of the commonwealth of Australia at this time,” he said.

But Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, said it would be yet another test of Turnbull’s leadership and show whether he was beholden to the hard rightwing of his party.

“So far he’s failed to show leadership on marriage equality and on climate change,” he said. “Julie Bishop recognises that it’s in Australia’s national interest to support Kevin Rudd”.

The former Labor foreign affairs minister and chancellor of the Australian National University, Gareth Evans, said it would be a travesty if the government did not nominate Rudd.

He would have no problem with Rudd being nominated but not endorsed, given it would make no difference to the outcome. But Rudd should not be excluded from the race, he says, although it would be an “uphill battle”.

“I have no problem with Rudd being nominated, but not ‘endorsed’ or ‘campaigned for’,” Evans said. “The latter won’t make any difference to outcome: the crucial issue is that he not be excluded from the race.”

Evans said international posts were not usually the subject of strong partisan posturing.

“It may be remembered that the Hawke government very strongly supported Malcolm Fraser as secretary general of the commonwealth – I was his campaign manager, actually,” he said.

“The Howard government with Alexander Downer as foreign minister strongly supported me when I had a quixotic run at the job of Unesco head when I left politics.

“And there’s a long tradition of keeping in office qualified, competent people as diplomatic appointments like Kim Beazley with the current government.”

Fraser was not successful in his attempt to become secretary general.