Julia Gillard's collapse in authority

On 1 January 2013 Australia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations will take up Australia's temporary seat on the Security Council.

How can our Ambassador act with confidence on any instructions from the Prime Minister when crucial votes come before the Security Council?

To whom should our Ambassador defer in the event that he receives conflicting advice from the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister?

The Ambassador cannot be guided by the public statements of the Prime Minister, nor can he be guided by her private comments, as Bob Carr has proven he can undermine even her most strident positions.

Our Ambassador cannot know whether Bob Carr will undertake further campaigns to override the Prime Minister's authority.

Should a decision be required urgently, he may not have the luxury of waiting for Cabinet and Caucus processes to play out.

This puts our Ambassador in an untenable position that could only be resolved by the removal of either the Prime Minister or the Foreign Minister or both.

There are also broader implications for the exercise of our diplomatic and trade policies across the globe.

Many serious matters can only be resolved with direct discussions between leaders, as officials and Ministers lack the stature to deal with certain highly sensitive matters.

These can range from consular cases to overcoming barriers in trade negotiations to dealing with territorial disputes.

Every world leader will now be aware that Prime Minister Gillard cannot guarantee passage of her commitments through her own Cabinet and Caucus.

They will be well aware that Bob Carr has effectively taken away the Prime Minister's discretion to impose her authority on critical issues.