PART ONE: END OF THE ALLIANCE?

The first surprise for Joe Hockey in dealing with Donald Trump’s inner circle was the kiss.

As Australia’s ambassador to the US, Hockey needed to make contact and defend Australia’s interests.

The Republican candidate for the presidency had made America’s alliances a campaign issue, something no other candidate had done in the postwar era.

The unthinkable was suddenly on the agenda. “We cannot be the policeman of the world” is a Trump refrain. The biggest and most serious US alliances were suddenly in play - Trump says he’s prepared to walk away from Japan, South Korea, NATO. These allies will “have to pay us” or they will “have to protect themselves”.

Does that mean Japan and South Korea should go nuclear? “It could mean nuclear,” said Trump in March. “It’s a very scary nuclear world.”

What about Australia? Trump was not asked. On this particular ally, he was silent. Seeking an answer, Hockey travelled to the Park Avenue office of Trump’s consigliere, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, in April.

The first thing Giuliani did was kiss him. Hockey was startled; the men had never met. Undeterred, Hockey made his case.

That Australia is the only country in the world that has stood by the US in every war since the two nations first fought side by side against the Germans in 1918. That Australian forces are in Iraq and Afghanistan today. That Australia is in a unique position as an invaluable ally.

The ambassador went on to make the point that Australia is an invaluable partner to China, too. That Australia is the biggest coal exporter in the world, the biggest iron ore exporter and will soon be the biggest LNG exporter.

Why make the China point, the resources point?

It’s a subtle way of pointing out that Australia is strategically desirable to other countries, too - Australia, in other words, has options.