ADELAIDE: Lord Downer of Adelaide Hills has backed Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s remarks casting doubt on the future of former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s ongoing tenure as Australia’s Ambassador to the USA.

Caught by surprise by a reporter and photographer outside his family seat Pout House, (main picture) His Lordship said Mr Dutton as prime minister would be Right to replace Mr Rudd if the current ambassador was not the Right person to deal with the Trump administration.

Lord Downer said he had no idea who might replace Mr Rudd in such “inevitable circumstances”.

“There are many fine – and most importantly, titled – gentlemen suitable to replace Mr Rudd in Washington,” Lord Downer said while supervising household staff loading steamer trunks into barouches lined up in the Pout House drive.

“One would expect Mr Dutton would choose someone with extensive experience in foreign affairs.

“Someone who was a long-serving foreign minister and perhaps also a short-serving Liberal Party leader would be ideal,” His Lordship said.

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CANBERRA: A shattered Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is desperately seeking constitutional advice to see whether he can legally postpone the looming federal election.

The Bug understands the PM has even approached famed constitution lawyer Anne Twomey to see if the poll that supposedly must be held by May 16 under the rules can “be kicked into the long grass”, as a Prime Ministers Office insider explained it to us.

“The PM is truly at his wit’s end after hearing the news from one of the country’s finest political minds that his chances at the looming poll are very grim indeed,” the insider added.

He was referring to recent comments on Sky LNPNews Australia by former speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop (at top), claiming the Albanese Labor government’s policies have been “so bad” for the Australian people.

Ms Bishop told Sky LNP News host Paul Murray that anything that comes Labor’s way before the election, they [the Australian people] will “grab onto”.

“As for Chalmers … it’s all fantasy, it’s all illusion.”

The PMO insider told us: “It was an absolute tragedy to see the immediate change in the PM’s demeanour after hearing of Bishop’s stinging assessment.

“The PM was just completing two successful sitting weeks and was fully aware that even though he’s slightly behind in current polling, the two-party vote always tightens in an election period. He also thought, rather foolishly perhaps, that presenting two surpluses in a row and being highly rated around the world for economic management would put him and his government in good stead.

“He was downright cheerful and looked like the cat that got the cream until he heard of the electoral assessment by Bishop, who naturally enough he respects greatly.

“His face just turned sour and bitter. It was as if someone had thrown kerosene all over him and struck a match.”

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