For well over a year now, the United States has not replaced its departed ambassador to Australia, John Berry.
After a rocky start to the year in diplomatic relations between Australia and the United States, the mood seemed to have quieted down as the end of the year approached.
That is, until a bombshell dropped in The New York Times, the revelation that Australia had been directly linked to the FBI investigation into Russian links with the 2016 US election.
On New Year's Eve Australian time, Times investigative reporter Matt Mazzetti was explaining to US National Public Radio what he had unveiled earlier in the day in the paper.
"One of the most critical factors was information that George Papadopoulos, the campaign aide, gave to the top Australian diplomat while drinking ... at a bar in London. And George Papadopoulos revealed that the Russians had dirt* on Hillary Clinton. The Australian, Mr Downer -- his name is Alexander Downer -- eventually passed that information to the Americans, and the FBI, two months later, launched the investigation." Mazzetti said.
Alexander Downer, a former Liberal opposition leader and foreign minister, is Australia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Now, former deputy prime minister and ambassador Tim Fischer is suggesting, while that is not the only factor, the absence of an ambassador is looking like a diplomatic snub.
He has told the ABC the lack of an appointment reflects Australia's low status with President Donald Trump's administration in Washington.
More details available on the podcast above.
