US snubs Australia with failure to appoint ambassador, former deputy PM warns

The United States has delivered a "diplomatic insult" to Australia by failing to appoint an ambassador to Canberra, former Australian Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer has declared.

Fischer, who previously served as Australia's ambassador to the Holy See, made the pointed accusation as concern grows in political circles over the prolonged vacancy in one of Washington's most significant Pacific postings.

The absence of a confirmed American ambassador is seen as a signal of neglect toward a country regarded as one of the United States' closest and most enduring allies. Fischer's remarks reflect broader unease about the state of the bilateral relationship at the diplomatic level.