Jim Chalmers to be PM for half-a-day as questions mount over Richard Marles' travel
Deputy PM Richard Marles' decision to fly commercially to the US and UK has been seen by some colleagues as an overcorrection after he was criticised for using RAAF flights to commute to Canberra.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will be acting prime minister for half-a-day on the weekend until Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles lands back in the country on a commercial long-haul flight.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leaves for China on Saturday afternoon, while Marles doesn’t get back from his weeklong trip to the United States and Britain until Sunday morning.
With Foreign Minister Penny Wong also in China, this makes Chalmers the next in line to serve in the top job from Saturday afternoon until Marles arrives in the country about 12 hours later. It will be the fourth time Chalmers acts in the role.
Albanese will be away for almost a week for his official visit to China where he will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, and his visit to the Cook Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum.
