Correction by Sky News Australia
Statement from the Office of the Hon Kevin Rudd AC
We welcome Sky News Australia’s acknowledgment that it broadcast false statements relating to Dr Rudd and his position on the AUKUS partnership. These included: a false statement that Dr Rudd had previously opposed the AUKUS partnership; and a false statement that Dr Rudd said the partnership was not in Australia’s national interest.
The below correction was published by Sky News Australia on 3 May 2023 following correspondence between our office, Sky News Australia, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Sky News has requested its correspondence with our office be kept private and confidential.
No further comment will be made at this time.
A segment broadcast on 9 March concerning Dr Kevin Rudd’s then forthcoming role as Ambassador to the United States included commentary on Dr Rudd’s prior statements on the AUKUS alliance to provide Australia’s future submarine capacity.
That commentary included that Dr Rudd had prior to his appointment said negative things about AUKUS. Dr Rudd has informed us that commentary was inaccurate for the following reasons. Dr Rudd was heavily critical of the manner in which the AUKUS agreement was dealt by the Morrison government. Dr Rudd in that context notes that his statements including on damage to Australia’s diplomatic relationship with France by violating the spirit and letter of the Australia-France strategic framework of 2012/2017 and to the effect it had left Australia “strategically naked” were limited to the manner of execution and did not extend to the AUKUS agreement.
Dr Rudd states that his public statements could not be taken to support a comment that he was against AUKUS or be described as an assertion the AUKUS agreement was not in Australia’s national interest and that was not his position. We accept Dr Rudd’s statement.
Source: www.skynews.com.au