Penny Wong’s London speech about UK’s colonial history caused no ‘diplomatic tension’

Top bureaucrat defends Australian foreign minister’s comments amid opposition criticism that it was an unnecessary ‘distraction’

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The Australian foreign affairs minister’s speech in London about Britain’s colonial history caused “no sense of discomfort or diplomatic tension” with the UK, a senior official has declared.

The Coalition opposition used a committee hearing in Canberra on Thursday to suggest that Penny Wong’s remarks caused an unnecessary “distraction” during annual high-level talks between Australia and the UK.

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