US perpetrating a 'diplomatic insult' on Australia, says former deputy PM

By Michael Koziol
Updated January 3 2018 - 8:03am, first published 5:51am

Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer has accused the US of perpetrating a "diplomatic insult" to Australia by failing to appoint an ambassador in Canberra for nearly 18 months, underlining a tension he believes will worsen after this week's revelations about Alexander Downer.