Former Telstra chief says Australia is ‘racist’

“Just simply because some of the policies,some of the laws,or more recent,when you think of immigration policies that weren’t changed until 30 years ago or so,which were very restrictive,” he was quoted as saying by the news channel.

Since leaving Australia after a four-year reign at Telstra that earned him USD 30 million and was marked by run-ins with Liberal and Labour governments,Trujillo has popped up on the executive circuit hustings in the United States.

In the interview,Trujillo dubbed Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as a racist after Rudd responded to news of Trujillo’s departure with the word “Adios”.

“Many Australians have come up to me and they’ve apologised,because they’re embarrassed by that kind of behaviour,” he said.

“I think by definition (it was racism) – there were even columnists who wrote stories that said it was. But my point is that does exist and it’s got to change because the world is full of a lot of people and most economies have to take advantage – including Australia – of a diverse set of people,” he added.