The prospect of a wider war with Russia was high on the agenda as NATO leaders gathered in Washington DC this week.
Western allies have doubled their forces on Europe’s eastern front on the assumption that the mission to capture Ukraine is merely the first step to achieving Vladimir Putin’s ambitions.
This was unarguably the most important strategic gathering of Western leaders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.
The rise in tension in Europe is sharper than at any moment since the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
It comes as China has stepped up its airborne military exercises within the sovereign borders of Taiwan and the Middle East stands on the brink of a wider war as Israel counters concerted attacks on its northern border.
Yet Australia’s 31st Prime Minister had more pressing matters on his plate than joining allied leaders in the US capital.
Australia’s interests at the most important western strategic gathering of Anthony Albanese’s lifetime would be left in the hands of his deputy Richard Marles.
The most senior figure from Australasia and the Pacific was Christopher Luxon, the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Meanwhile, our PM was at home announcing a $12.5 million contribution from the federal government to upgrade Henson Park in his inner-city electorate, the home of the Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup Rugby league competition.
The Prime Minister expressed his pride in being part of Henson Park’s renewal.
The upgrade would “offer immense benefits to all who step onto the hallowed turf, whether elite players or weekend warriors”, he said.
This is the same Albanese who ripped into his prime ministerial predecessor for his involvement in the so-called sports rorts affair, the $100 million community sport infrastructure fund that disproportionally targeted marginal or Coalition target electorates.
Albanese called that “a scandal of massive proportions”, claiming that Scott Morrison was “in this right up to his neck”.
In normal times, the Henson Park announcement would have received little attention outside the Inner West section of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.
Yet these are not normal times for NATO and the Western Alliance.
Attempts to broker peace in Ukraine are failing and Russia is stepping up its offensive, this week targeting a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
In Europe, the parliaments of France, Germany, the Netherlands and the European Parliament have undergone political upheaval.
A new UK Prime Minister is attending his first-ever NATO summit.
NATO is looking to strengthen its ties in Asia and the Pacific, under the expectation that Australia will be a solid ally.
It is under pressure to provide greater military assets to Ukraine and is weighing up whether the country can join NATO, a decision that could compel Australia to commit personnel to its defence.
The Biden administration has committed an extra US$1.5 billion ($2.2 billion AUD) in aid for Ukraine and is talking of wider sanctions against Russia.
In these circumstances it beggars belief that an Australian prime minister should decide not to take his seat at the table.
It is Australia’s most embarrassing prime ministerial no-show since the invention of the jet liner.
Albanese clearly isn’t cut from the same cloth as his predecessors, Robert Menzies and John Curtin, who recognised Australia’s invaluable role in global diplomacy.
This is hardly a singular error of judgement.
When it comes to national security and defence blunders, Albanese has form.
He failed to follow through with the previous government’s decision to supply coal to Ukraine, the most important contribution Australia could make to its defence.
Military and logistical support to Ukraine has diminished under his government and the Australian embassy in Kyiv remains closed.
He turned down a US request to provide a naval ship to keep the Red Sea open to freight in the face of attacks from Iranian backed Houthi rebels.
He has undermined Israel’s right to self-defence by voting for a ceasefire motion at the United Nations, which would have allowed Hamas terrorists to rearm and regroup for their next attack against civilians.
He has been timid in response to aggression by the Chinese PLA who have endangered Australian Navy lives.
This pattern of behaviour invites some worrying questions about the office of the Prime Minister and the character of a leader who has an almost unfettered prerogative to commit his country to war, or not as the case may be.
Is Albanese receiving the correct advice from those whose role is to follow international events and keep the Prime Minister informed?
Or is the PM so caught up in the world of petty domestic politics that he’s simply not listening? Either way, there is every reason for Australians to be concerned.
Nick Cater is a senior fellow at Menzies Research Centre and a visiting fellow at the Danube Institute.