Scott Morrison and his senior ministers will lobby their overseas counterparts on behalf of Mathias Cormann after the former Australian finance minister was named as one of the final four contenders for the top job at the OECD.
The other three remaining contenders – from Sweden, Greece and Switzerland – have solid links across Europe, which could put them in a strong position given the Paris-based economic body’s membership is dominated by Europe.
Cormann is campaigning to assume the role of secretary general of the 37-member Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development but has faced scrutiny over his government’s climate policies.
He was originally one of 10 candidates, but six have dropped out as they were informed they did not have sufficient support.
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Thursday the government was “pleased that Mr Cormann is proceeding to the fourth round of consultations as one of the four remaining candidates in a highly competitive field”.
“With the final stages of consultations under way, Mr Cormann continues to engage with all key stakeholders on his vision and priorities for the OECD,” the spokesperson said when asked about the next steps in Cormann’s campaign.
The government has not flagged any additional travel plans, after Cormann crisscrossed Europe and visited South America in November and December as part of his government-backed campaign to lead the OECD.
Asked to confirm Morrison was making calls on Cormann’s behalf, the spokesperson said: “The government continues to advocate Mr Cormann’s strong credentials for the role. This includes advocacy by the prime minister and senior ministers.”
The process of finding a consensus candidate is due to be completed by next month.
It is understood Cormann is seen as a strong candidate in many European capitals, but some analysts say the Australian government’s climate record has emerged as one potential sticking point.
The OECD has long been arguing for stronger global action on climate change.
In order to blunt that criticism, Cormann and his campaign have argued that the debate in Australia “is not about whether to address climate change, but how this is done in an effective and least [costly] way”.
During the campaign, Cormann has promised that if he was named as the OECD secretary general, he would “use every lever available through the organisation to help lead and drive ambitious and effective action on climate change as a top priority”.
While leaving room in his OECD promotional material for different countries and regions to differ in their precise policy responses, Cormann has been promoting a vision where – under his leadership – “we can come together to share ideas about our collective green recovery effort on our journey towards a low-emissions future”.
Cormann’s use of an RAAF Falcon aircraft – at a likely cost of about $4,300 per flying hour – attracted domestic political criticism late last year, given that ordinary Australians had embraced video conferencing.
Dfat has also established a campaign taskforce of 8.5 full-time-equivalent staff to support Cormann’s candidacy. The full cost is yet to be disclosed.
But the government has defended the campaign on the basis the OECD plays an important role in shaping global rules and will help coordinate the economic recovery from the pandemic.
Cecilia Malmström, the Swedish candidate and a former EU trade commissioner, said on Twitter she was “grateful and excited to still be in the race” to lead the OECD, which should help members “build back better” after the Covid crisis.
The Swedish government emphasised that “a sustainable and inclusive recovery post-Covid” remained a central priority of Malmström.
The other remaining candidates include Anna Diamantopoulou, a former Greek minister who previously served as a European commissioner for employment and social affairs.
Diamantopoulou also cites her experience in academia, including teaching undergraduate and postgraduate seminars on the European financial crisis when she was a distinguished scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of public policy in Singapore.
The other contender is Philipp Hildebrand of Switzerland, who is the vice-chair of investment giant BlackRock.
