Despite Labor officials admitting to being anxious about the AUKUS submarine deal and climate policy, both the Democrats and Republicans have congratulated Donald Trump on his historic US presidential election victory, claiming the US-Australian alliance will continue to grow.
Mr. Albanese put on a brave front during the re-election of a guy he had previously said scared him, as lawmakers from all sides of the aisle were trying to process the gravity of Mr. Trump’s sweep of the Senate, the White House, and maybe even the House of Representatives.
The prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, called outgoing US president Joe Biden a “friend” and stated that the country would work to enhance US-Australia collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.
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“Our government will work closely with the new Trump administration to realise the benefits of our strong economic partnership,” said Mr. Trump.
We are united as a nation because of the shared sacrifices of our forefathers, the principles we hold in common, and most importantly, the love and respect that has always existed between our peoples.
“I look forward to talking with President Trump and working with him in the best interests of both our nations.”
As the leader of the opposition party, Peter Dutton, expressed similar comments, saying that he believes the two nations can find strength in “the principles we hold dear, the patriotism that drives us, and the pragmatism that defines us,” referring to the shared values of the American and Australian people.
Overwhelmingly, the US has been a positive influence on the global stage.
The globe is at its finest when our close ally is robust and at its greatest,” he remarked.
The optimistic tone obscured the fact that many in the Labor caucus were shocked by Mr. Trump’s victory.
As the US election count intensified, Question Time began at 2pm on Wednesday.
According to The New York Times’ live forecasting tracker, Mr. Trump’s prospects of winning stood at 71%. That likelihood had risen to 89% as Question Time neared its conclusion, a little over an hour later.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seemed to pay little attention to the proceedings, instead fixating on their phones and computers as they watched the figures rise.
The opposition side of the chamber grew louder as Mr. Trump’s numbers rose, while the tone on the Labor benches was solemn.
According to one Labor source, the party learned some hard lessons from Mr. Trump’s victory, which the Republicans were able to do by appealing to blue collar men and Americans who cared only about “hip pocket” issues.
Despite a robust US economy, voters “personally felt shafted” due to high prices, according to the observer of the US vote.
The fact that Labor’s Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss brings the number of sitting governments that have crumbled under the weight of the worldwide cost-of-living problem to a long and depressing roll.
Based on the information provided by a senior source, it appears that Australia’s $368 million nuclear submarine acquisition deal with the US could be put at risk if Mr. Trump opts to keep the boats for the US Navy.
Mr. Trump’s rejection of the Paris climate accord “makes life difficult for us” in terms of energy and emissions policy, according to another Labor source.
Although those concerns may be allayed with time, the prime minister will face a test in the next days and weeks as he meets with Mr. Trump for the first time.
A video of Mr. Albanese at a 2017 music event criticizing the president-elect surfaced this week, which will cause diplomatic circles to react sensitively, despite Mr. Trump’s reputation for a transactional approach to foreign ties.
It doesn’t imply that you’re uncritical about it, Mr. Albanese, who was the opposition’s transport spokesperson at the time, said.
The prime minister will be keenly watched by the opposition for indications of weakness as they negotiate with Mr. Trump, but the administration, particularly Defence Minister Richard Marles, has downplayed the worries raised by the remarks.
After Mr. Trump’s victory, Greens leader Adam Bandt called it a “pretty terrifying outcome” and demanded that Mr. Albanese pull out of the AUKUS security accord right now.
“We must be able to make our own decisions about defence and foreign policy,” he said on the website.
