Quiet diplomacy? Albanese's post-victory call caught on camera
When Albanese spoke to Prabowo following his election victory, Albanese informed the media that they had enjoyed a friendly conversation and that he would make Jakarta his first overseas destination for his second term.
Prabowo's team, meanwhile, released a minute-long video of their conversation, accompanied by the dreamy Alphaville song Forever Young. This follows a similar move in November when Prabowo released a video of his congratulatory phone call with Donald Trump in which he lavished praise on the president-elect and expressed his desire to travel to Washington as soon as possible.
It's a departure from the convention followed by most world leaders, who prefer to keep their conversations private. A sanitised summary (also known as a 'read out') of the conversation will sometimes later be released, but that's usually as far as it goes.
In the video, Prabowo applauds Albanese for his 'great victory', saying he was 'so happy' to see him re-elected.
'I have a request for you, and I want you to say yes,' Albanese replies with a laugh.
'Which is: I want Indonesia to be my first visit. Not Washington, not Beijing, not anywhere else.'
The video then shows the leaders getting into the details, with Albanese proposing 'Monday week' as a good date if that suits Prabowo's schedule.
'I want to send a message to the world my friend: Australia and Indonesia is an unbreakable bond.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

AU Financial Review
2 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
PM lifts US beef ban, paves way for Trump tariff talks
The Albanese government has lifted the biosecurity restrictions on US beef, paving the way for the full resumption of exports to Australia, and removing the key excuse given by the Trump administration for imposing steep tariffs on its supposed friend and ally. A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted the move, which was communicated to the US government overnight Wednesday (AEST), was based on scientific advice following a review of the restrictions initiated more than 18 months ago, before Donald Trump was elected president for a second term.

Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Bunch of drunken sailors': Sky News host Steve Price scorns Labor's 'crazy' spending as NDIS budget exceeds defence by a billion
Sky News host Steve Price has hit out at Labor's 'crazy' spending as the NDIS budget overshadows defence while more than half the nation relies on some form of government subsidy. Price said the Albanese government was rightly happy to have won the federal election, but now needed to get the country 'back on track'. A report by the Centre for Independent Studies which found more than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income - through wages, benefits or subsidies - was proof of the major challenges ahead, he claimed. 'We have become a nation of leaners, not leaders, and I hate to say that,' Price said. 'We have continued to swamp the country with unprecedented numbers of migrants. We have workers relying on governments for their pay packets. That grows alarmingly.' CIS economist Robert Carling warned such widespread dependence has fuelled unsustainable government spending and eroded economic resilience. In a new paper published on Wednesday, Leviathan on the Rampage, Mr Carling warned federal spending alone has reached 27.6 per cent of GDP. This was up from between 24 and 25 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 and has been fuelled by a 'program expansion in social services, defence and debt interest'. 'How can that be sustainable?' Price said. 'According to that report, spending is driven largely by a small group of programmes including - surprise surprise - the NDIS, Aged Care, Medicare and Defence. The NDIS is actually costing taxpayers more than what we spend on defence. How crazy is that? This year alone, $52 billion on the NDIS. 'Simply not sustainable.' Australia's current defence budget is $51 billion. Price said the Labor government was 'spending like a bunch of drunken sailors'. According to the federal budget 2025-26, the NDIS recorded the second highest annual growth in major payments, behind only interest. It has been projected to cost more than $64 billion by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the federal budget has been projected to endure a decade of deficits and surge past $1 trillion of debt. The findings come just days after leaked Treasury advice revealed the Albanese government has been told to pursue 'spending reductions'. Treasury said Treasurer Jim Chalmers would need to find 'additional revenue and spending reductions' to ensure a 'sustainable budget'.

Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Culture of dependency' on the rise under Labor
Sky News host Danica De Giorgio discusses Australia's 'culture of dependency' on the rise under the Albanese Labor government. 'Labor is already ducking and weaving on its own tax reform agenda, ugh jeez, look, we can see where this is going, can't we, we just know it,' Ms De Giorgio said. 'Higher taxes under the guise of an economic reform roundtable.'