Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the importance of working constructively and managing relationships with significant security and economic partners?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Tangney for his question. The Australian government has congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his victory and, as the Prime Minister has described, he had a very positive discussion with President-elect Trump this morning.

The coalition government has been working hard to ensure that we are ready to engage closely with a new Trump administration. Indeed, we have been engaging with members of the Trump teams and with the Republican Party. I have met with senior figures from the Trump transition team, as has Ambassador Hockey and our diplomats in Washington. We are prepared for a Trump administration under the new President. We place the highest priority on a positive relationship with the United States, because it is our strategic ally, it is our most important defence and intelligence partner, it is our largest source of foreign investment and it is our second-largest trading partner. It is in our national interest for Australia to have a positive and productive relationship with the new President and with the new Trump administration. But compare and contrast the behaviour of the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of a major political party in Australia, a person who holds himself up to be the alternative Prime Minister of this country. In his roles he has a responsibility not to damage or undermine our relationship with the United States.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition has made his point.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

There is actually a standing order about that, if you would like me to take you through it.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And while we were closely engaging on building relationships with both the Clinton team and with the Trump team, the Leader of the Opposition chose to hurl personal insults at one of the candidates in a presidential election in the United States describing the president-elect as 'demeaning' and 'disgusting' and calling him 'barking mad'. But not content with the personal vitriol, he went even further and denounced the president-elect by saying that he was in entirely unsuitable to be the leader of the free world. And then, by publicly predicting a Trump loss, he showed utter disregard for the people of the United States and their democratic process. Now with his mealy mouthed address today trying to deflect from the fact that he was undermining the relationship with the United States he once more showed his flawed judgement and his reckless immaturity. He is not fit to lead this country.