Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said a decision by the US to pull its incoming ambassador to Australia shows the Trump administration considers this country a "second-class ally".
The White House has backtracked on its appointment of Admiral Harry Harris as the next US ambassador to Australia, with the celebrated military leader likely heading to South Korea instead.
Mr Rudd told ABC's 7:30 the last-minute decision offered insight into how President Trump views the US-Australia relationship.
"A public symbol of this nature ... basically says Australia - from President Trump's perspective - is a second class ally."
Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop confirmed her US counterparts told her of the change yesterday.
"Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan confirmed that the White House administration had decided to reassign Admiral Harris to another post," Ms Bishop told reporters in Sydney.
Mr Harris is America's top military commander in the Asia-Pacific and widely respected in both military and diplomatic circles. He was nominated for the Australia role by Mr Trump in February.
Ms Bishop said "we understand the challenges the United States has on the Korean peninsula".
The position has now been vacant for more than 18 months and no names have been offered on who could now fill the role.
Mr Rudd added that while Mr Trump may not be a popular figure in Australia, there is still an expectation that "any administration in the United States takes our alliance seriously".
"So to chop and change at the last-minute like this and take a good candidate - Admiral Harry Harris - and send him to Seoul is a bad signal to the wider public community."
"There's a danger that the Trump administration begins to take Australia for granted."
Mr Rudd said Prime Minister Turnbull's office would likely "be full of colourful and rich language ... (wondering) how they could do this to us".
