So why did Prime Minister Abbott phone President Obama?

Sometime during the evening of 11 September 2013 US President Barack Obama telephoned the then Australian Prime Minister-elect, Tony Abbott, and later his office circulated this media release:

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 12, 2013

Readout of the President’s Calls with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Prime Minister-Elect Tony Abbott of Australia

The President called Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott last night to congratulate him and the Opposition Coalition for his success in the Australia federal election on September 7.  The President and Mr. Abbott discussed their grave concern about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, and the viability of the Russian proposal to put all Syrian chemical weapons and related materials fully under international control in order to ensure their verifiable and enforceable destruction.  The President and Prime Minister-elect discussed ways to further strengthen the U.S.-Australia alliance, including by implementing fully the force posture initiatives announced by the United States and Australia in November 2011.  They also discussed the importance of concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations this year.

The President also called outgoing Prime Minister Rudd.  The President thanked Prime Minister Rudd for his friendship, leadership, and unflinching support of the U.S.-Australia relationship, as well as for his strong position on the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons on August 21.

Australian media also covered the courtesy call in detail.

However, I’ve yet to hear a word about a second telephone call which Tony Abbott disclosed during a telephone interview with The Washington Post conducted sometime between 20 to 24 October 2013:

He’s a very busy man, and I don’t want to make his life more complicated by demanding an early meeting. He was good enough to take a phone call from me after the election. I expect to visit the United States sometime next year.

Hmmmm.......