The posting is a vote of confidence in Hockey, who presided over unemployment that reached a 12-year high and a plunge in business investment during his two years as treasurer.
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“But I love my country and my family more than I hate my enemies”.
Australia’s former treasurer Joe Hockey has been named as the new ambassador to the United States.
Although Hockey inherited a slowing economy, he was seen by many to have performed poorly in the role, leading to criticism in the media that he may not be qualified to manage Australia’s most important diplomatic relationship.
“I still have three or four years of desire to contribute to the country in one form or another It’s just the politics at the end of the day beat me”, he said.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop formally announced the news in a short press release.
Bishop also thanked outgoing ambassador Kim Beazley for his “significant contribution”.
“He has great contacts in the United States”.
“Joe will be as Kim has been the face of Australia to Washington, to the most powerful Government in the world, the face of Australia will be Joe Hockey”, Mr Turnbull said.
When Mr Turnbull launched his successful challenge for the prime ministership in September he told reporters, “the government is not successful in providing the economic leadership that we need”.
He had been in the Parliament since 1996 and held various ministerial and shadow ministerial roles before his elevation to treasurer following Mr Abbott’s 2013 election.
In a second clip shared on Mark Bouris” website, the pair discussed “making a difference’ whether in politics or not, with Mr Hockey sharing a story about a lady he met when he was 24-years-old.
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Former senior Australian diplomat Ric Smith said there was a long record of political appointees to Washington going back to the 1940s.
