BHP chief beats Anthony Albanese to securing meeting with Donald Trump as concerns over US-Australia alliance rage on
Despite numerous opportunities to do so, the Prime Minister has repeatedly failed to lock down a meeting with the US President.
Mr Albanese now stands as one of the last global leaders still to hold talks with the Commander in Chief - with Indian PM Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Irish PM Michael Martin among the leaders to have been hosted in the White House.
Defence experts have said Australia's long-standing relationship with the US is fraught - with strategic expert Peter Jennings even saying it is 'in its worst shape" in years - with Mr Albanese's recent decision to recognise Palestinian statehood further inflaming tensions with the White House.
In a fresh blow to the Prime Minister, it was revealed on Wednesday that CEO of Australian mining giant BHP Mike Henry had met with the US President face-to-face in the Oval Office.
The meeting was held as a US court contentiously halted a land transfer that would have paved the way for BHP and Rio Tinto to commence work on the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona.
Mr Henry was joined by Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm and incoming chief executive Simon Trott to discuss the future of the mammoth project, with a Rio spokesman telling The Australian the discussions were centred on the mining industry's capacity to deliver long-term mineral supplies to the US.
Mr Henry posted a picture of the group of senior executives with President Trump to LinkedIn and lauded the discussions while commending the US administration for its commitment in ensuring the development was given the green light.
'Earlier today, I had the privilege of meeting with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum together with Rio Tinto CEO, Jakob Stausholm and incoming CEO Simon Trott, to underscore our shared commitment to develop Resolution Copper,' Mr Henry said.
'Resolution Copper is one of the largest untapped, high grade copper resources in the US today and will create thousands of high value local jobs in Arizona and billions in economic activity across America.'
Mr Albanese, who has come under renewed fire from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his decision to recognise Palestinian statehood, was asked on Wednesday if he was 'running scared' from a meeting with the US President.
The Prime Minister frustratingly brushed off assertions he had been iced out by the Trump administration and insisted he had met with a raft of senior US political figures.
'I met with and hosted about eight Republican and Democrat congress people and Senators just last week at Kirribilli, I travelled to Sydney in order to host them and to engage with them,' Mr Albanese said.
'I was the first person .... to meet with the incoming speaker when he was appointed in the US Congress during my state visit and I have met .... with over 100 people either Congress representatives or Senators.
The Prime Minister also insisted the AUKUS trilateral submarine deal enjoyed overwhelming support from the wider American political spectrum despite the mammoth agreement being subject to a review by the Pentagon, which has since reached its deadline.
'They understand that AUKUS is an important project for all three countries and important for stability in our part of the world,' he said.
Mr Albanese, unlike British PM Keir Starmer, was not notified of the US' attacks against Iran in June before they were carried out, with the Prime Minister also confirming he had not spoken to the US President after he abruptly left the G7 summit in Canada a day before the two were due to meet.
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