Who is Siobhan McKenna? The ‘irreplaceable’ former Murdoch aide given a top diplomatic posting

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has formally submitted a bid for Australia to hold a two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2029 and 2030. Albanese has also appointed Siobhan McKenna, a former head of broadcasting at News Corp, as Australia's next consul general to New York. A formal vote for the UN council spot will not take place until mid-2028, but Albanese plans to ramp up lobbying efforts during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Albanese emphasized that Australia's presence on the council could positively impact Australians' daily lives, citing the role the country played in responding to the Russian downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 during its previous stint on the council in 2013-2014. Australia has served on the security council five times since its inception post-World War II, with the most recent term being from 2013 to 2014.

Only Australia and Finland have submitted bids for a spot on the council, which are allocated to countries from the Western Europe and Others group. To secure a spot on the council, the two countries must garner support from two-thirds of the 193 UN member states. Albanese expressed optimism about obtaining support from Pacific nations and Southeast Asian countries in the Asean pact, as well as leveraging Australia's role in the Pacific and efforts to combat climate change.

The campaign, named "we listen, we partner, we protect," will also aim to amplify the voices of middle powers and smaller nations within the UN. Albanese highlighted Australia's recent ban on social media use for individuals under 16 and recent actions to regulate AI as key aspects of the campaign. McKenna, who is now the chair of Australia Post and has also served as chair of the National Broadband Network (NBN), will bring financial and economic expertise to the role.