Turnbull government won't nominate Kevin Rudd for UN secretary-general role

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told a press conference in Sydney he did not believe the former Labor leader was well suited to the role and would not be nominated, only hours after denying a request from Mr Rudd for a meeting on Friday morning.

Cabinet handed Mr Turnbull sole responsibility for the decision on Thursday, amid polarised debate about Mr Rudd's candidacy which did not result in a decision.

Defending the decision in a press conference, Mr Turnbull said it wasn't about party politics, but his overruling of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's support for Mr Rudd has been viewed as an apparent bid to quell strong objections from senior conservatives including Scott Morrison, Greg Hunt and Peter Dutton.

"It would have been the first time in the United Nations' 70-year history that Australia offered a candidate for UN secretary-general," Mr Rudd said in a statement.

"It would have reflected well on what our nation can offer to the world - as a middle power with relationships across the world, including the developing world, smaller states, the Commonwealth, our Pacific Island friends and of course our partners in Asia."

He said it was a pity the government had not seen fit to support the bid, "as the Hawke government supported Malcolm Fraser for the post of secretary general of the Commonwealth, or the Howard government supported Gareth Evans to be head of UNESCO."

Labor figures slammed the decision.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the Prime Minister had put his own interests ahead of the nation's, but Mr Turnbull denied the snub was a disparagement of Mr Rudd.

"I do not want to add to his disappointment, but the threshold point here is when the Australian government nominates a person for a job ... is do we believe the person, the nominee, the would-be nominee is well suited for that position," Mr Turnbull said.

When asked about what those unsuitable characteristics of Mr Rudd were, Mr Turnbull declined to elaborate.

Acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek and foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong called the move "petty" and said Australia had been diminished by Mr Turnbull's "weakness".

"This captain's call confirms that Malcolm Turnbull occupies the office of Prime Minister in name only," the pair said.

Former US ambassador and Labor leader Kim Beazley said Mr Turnbull had made the right decision, amid a strong appetite for a female secretary-general.

He called on the government to support former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark's campaign for the job.

Ms Bishop had offered support for Mr Rudd's nomination, arguing it was appropriate to support a former prime minister and such moves would not amount to an endorsement from the Australian government.

Mr Rudd, president of the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute, remains toxic for some Coalition MPs including right-wing backbencher Cory Bernardi who welcomed the move in a statement posted to Twitter.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott had pledged to support former New Zealand leader Helen Clark, who also has the backing of her country's government.

Eastern European UN member nations have argued they are due to have a representative in the top job.

Of the 12 declared candidates, Antonio Guterres, former prime minister of Portugal, is considered a frontrunner after a strong showing in the first straw poll vote.

Former New Zealand Labour prime minister Helen Clark has been backed in her nomination by Prime Minister John Key, who's from the conservative National Party.

The UN Security Council will consider nominated candidates from next month, before taking a resolution for the role to the General Assembly.

The five Security Council permanent member nations - including the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China and France - can veto any nominee for the job.

A secret ballot will take place, before the next secretary-general is due to take office on January 1.

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