Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejects the call to move to Florida and look for Donald Trump

Anthony Albanese has rejected calls for him to seek a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump, while Peter Dutton warns the government must “stay the course” to ensure Australia does not fare poorly under the new US administration.

The Prime Minister will travel to Peru and Brazil on Wednesday for the APEC and G20 summits next week.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Simon Birmingham said Albanese should proactively seek a meeting with Trump while he is in the region.

“The Albanian government should do everything it can to get Anthony Albanese in for an early meeting with Donald Trump,” he told Sky News on Tuesday morning.

“The opportunity is there for him to go to Florida and seek this meeting.”

But Mr Albanese rejected this suggestion.

“If you look at the map, it’s not actually on its way,” he said.

“I had a very constructive conversation with President-elect Trump last week, it was a very good start to our relationship.”

Mr. Albanese has never met Mr. Trump in person.

He did not meet the Republican candidate or any of his team while in Pennsylvania for the Quad meeting in September, unlike Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, ministers including Penny Wong, Richard Marles and Jim Chalmers have held talks with some within the Republican camp.

DFAT officials told Senator Birmingham in estimates last week that, by agreement, the only formal involvement the Australian government might have with the new administration was the congratulatory phone call Mr Albanese made to Mr Trump after his election victory.

The only break in this protocol they could remember was when then-British leader Theresa May visited Washington in 2016 before Trump was sworn in for the first time.

Mr Dutton said the government must ensure Australia continues to maintain a strong and trusting relationship with the US.

The opposition leader pointed out that the coalition, led by Malcolm Turnbull, had been able to negotiate tariff waivers during Trump’s first time in the White House.

“The responsibility will be on the prime minister to negotiate a similar outcome with the Trump administration, and the question for him will be whether or not they can get that done,” he said.

“But I think it’s clear that America has now set a different course, and the administration here needs to correct course and make sure it’s working with our most important ally, not against it.”