Albanese says Kamala Harris is a ‘good friend of Australia’
Asked for his thoughts on US vice-president Kamala Harris, who has been endorsed by Joe Biden to run for president, Anthony Albanese said:
She is a good friend of Australia.
I’ve met [her] on the sidelines of the G7, the meeting held in Thailand as well as during my visits to the United States. Of course, we will wait and see what comes out of the Democratic convention.
Key events
Turnbull on Trump: ‘If you suck up to bullies you just get more bullying’
Malcolm Turnbull reflected on his time dealing with Donald Trump when he was president, and urged Australian leaders not to “suck up” to him if he is re-elected.
There’s a lot of people at the moment talking about different ways of sucking up to Donald Trump. I did not suck up to Donald Trump. I stood my ground, I stood up for Australia and I got very good outcomes for Australia.
If you suck up to bullies you just get more bullying. I hope Mr Albanese and any other leaders who deal with Trump if he gets re-elected, don’t fall into the sort of sucking up school of flattering American presidents.
Looking forward to the US election, Malcolm Turnbull said that “policy is important” but “character is really important” – arguing that Kamala Harris will be able to campaign “very hard on character”.
She’ll be able to point to Trump’s convictions … who do you want to vote for, the prosecutor or the felon? …
Trump has got passionate adherence, but he’s also got passionate opponents who are appalled by his behaviour and his character. What she would be able to do is get more of the independents to come to the Democratic side, I believe.
Turnbull also noted that the US doesn’t have compulsory voting, meaning the party with the most energised voting base “has got a real advantage because their supporters get off the couch and go and vote.”
You know, young people were not inspired by Joe Biden, hardly surprising … he’s older than most of their grandparents, I suspect. So a younger candidate, a younger nominee, I think, is more likely to get the Democratic vote out.
So she definitely would give them a better chance. Having said that, I still think [Donald] Trump is a very strong favourite to win.
‘Maybe there should be an age cap’ on presidential candidates, Turnbull says
Asked whether Joe Biden’s decision to drop out sets a precedent going forward for an unofficial age cap on presidential candidates, he predicts there will be a debate around this in the country.
I imagine there will be a debate in the United States about setting an age limit. I mean, they have an age minimum for being a Senator or being President, so maybe there should be an age cap. I don’t know what it should be, maybe 75…
[But] there’s no question, Joe Biden has had three big problems, right, electorally. Number one – his age. And number two – the border, the perception that America is unable to control its southern border. And thirdly – inflation. That’s the problem of incumbent governments everywhere including Mr Albanese’s here in Australia.
Malcolm Turnbull says Biden made ‘the right decision’
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke with ABC News Breakfast to weigh in on the latest developments out of the US presidential race.
He said US president Joe Biden made the “right decision” to drop out of the race.
Biden has had a very, very successful presidency. He’s achieved an enormous amount, but going in to this election, his biggest vulnerability was his age and perceptions that he, you know, was no longer up for the job. So he’s done the right thing in stepping back and, I think, that’s why it’s been universally welcomed.
Host Patricia Karvelas: What does it say about Joe Biden’s character that he’s decided to step down? He clearly didn’t want to but there was immense pressure on him.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese:
He’s an incredibly decent, honourable man of integrity, who has always put his nation first and he put his nation first [by putting himself] forward for the presidency in 2020 and having served as vice-president to President [Obama] in [the] eight years prior to the election of President Trump.
Australian leadership has been ‘more turbulent’ than US in recent decades, PM says
Asked about the “turbulent times” occurring in the US, Anthony Albanese suggested Australia isn’t in a position to talk “given what we went through in a decade of turbulent leadership”.
If I get re-elected as prime minister, it will be the first time that a prime minister’s been reelected, having served the full term since John Howard in 2004. So we have certainly been much more turbulent than the United States has been the last couple of decades.
Albanese says Kamala Harris is a ‘good friend of Australia’
Asked for his thoughts on US vice-president Kamala Harris, who has been endorsed by Joe Biden to run for president, Anthony Albanese said:
She is a good friend of Australia.
I’ve met [her] on the sidelines of the G7, the meeting held in Thailand as well as during my visits to the United States. Of course, we will wait and see what comes out of the Democratic convention.
Biden has been ‘a great fan of Australia’: Albanese
Anthony Albanese is speaking with ABC RN after Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the US presidential race.
The PM said:
The president has been a great fan of Australia. [A] very significant economic relationship has grown out our trade during his presidency … He’s someone who has stood up for values of social inclusion, and importantly as well for Australia and for the world he’s been a leading figure on climate action.
Albanese said he has sent a message to Biden, who currently has Covid-19.
He was a gracious host to myself and Jodie during our state visit last year … [He] will continue to be over the coming months the most important leader in our globe. Of course, the United States is our most important ally.
Sinodinos says Trump should remember that America’s alliances are important
Asked what the differences would be between Donald Trump’s first term and a potential second term, Arthur Sinodinos told ABC RN.
The former Ambassador to the US said:
The policies won’t change much. I mean, he’s obviously very interested in policies around tariffs and trade. I don’t think that will change much from his first term.
I think the challenge for us with with Donald Trump is to remind him that one of America’s unique advantages is its network of allies and partners and to make the maximum use of that. And there’s been great progress … in terms of Aukus [and] many groupings in the Indo-Pacific … and all these need to be sort of maintained and strengthened and that requires American leadership.
And America also has to return to trade in the Indo-Pacific if it wants to engage more productively with countries in south-east Asia as well.
Kamala Harris has ‘historic opportunity’, former Australian ambassador to US says
Former ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, just spoke with ABC RN just earlier about all the latest developments in the US presidential race.
Sinodinos expects Kamala Harris will win the Democratic nomination, and noted that women voters in particular are angry about what has happened with Roe v Wade.
She can focus on issues like that, which have been pushing buttons of voters in various elections since the Supreme Court overturned that decision … There’s a real potential for her to appeal to women across the country, and that in itself would be a very substantial block.
Sinodinos said there was “no doubt” Donald Trump has momentum behind him, but said Joe Biden’s withdrawal could be a “circuit breaker” moment:
We’ve seen in other campaigns where sometimes a leader is parachuted in at the last minute … so there’s no doubt that it can be effective. It just depends now about whether she can rise to the challenge, overcome her own sort of nervousness and insecurities she sometimes display in the vice presidency. She’s got the job now. This is her historic opportunity. She has to rise to that.
PM, Dutton struggling as preferred leaders: Newspoll
According to Newspoll both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are struggling to attract a majority of voters to back them as the preferred leader of the respective parties, AAP reports.
The latest survey for The Australian showed only 28% of voters nominated Albanese and Dutton as their preferred leaders of their respective Labor and Coalition parties, ahead of five other chosen candidates.
For Labor, environment minister Tanya Plibersek was backed by 13% of voters while former leader Bill Shorten was the third pick among voters with 10% support averaged across all demographics. Treasurer Jim Chalmers enjoyed only 8% support.
For the Coalition, opposition Indigenous affairs spokesperson Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was the next most favoured behind Dutton on 14% followed by deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley at 6%.
The poll showed the coalition’s primary vote lifted two points to 38% while Labor’s also rose a point to 33%. Support for the Greens remained unchanged at 13% while backing for those in the “others” category – minority parties and independents – dipped two points to 10%. The survey showed One Nation was down one point to 6%.
On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor continues to lead the coalition by 51% to 49% – unchanged from the previous poll. The Newspoll was conducted between 15 July and 19 July and interviewed 1258 voters throughout Australia.
Trump and Kamala both bring ‘significant experience’, Birmingham says
Asked about what impact Kamala Harris would have on the Aukus partnership specifically if elected, Simon Birmingham said she would come to the office with “significant experience” after four years as vice-president:
Just as of course Donald Trump having spent four years as president will bring his own experience should he be elected. It’s not for Australian political leaders to have a preference here. It’s for Australian political leaders to make sure that we are as well placed to the nation as possible to work with whoever the US people elect as president.
It’s important that Kevin Rudd, as Australia’s ambassador in the US, be engaging with both teams, both sets of candidates – whoever ends up being the Democratic nominee – as well as Donald Trump as the Republican nominee, and has strong relationships into the new administration from day one.
Having those strong relationships should be possible because each brings that significant experience at national office.
Biden’s decision not a surprise after weeks of speculation, Birmingham says
Simon Birmingham said it wasn’t necessarily a surprise that Joe Biden has decided to withdraw, following “news and speculation and otherwise in recent weeks”, but noted it is a “historic moment”.
It’s historic …
What denotes this as being so significant is it means there will be a new US president next January, a new US administration in place and therefore a different set of bases for us to ensure that our strongest of alliances continues to be as strong as possible in the future.
Birmingham honours Biden’s role in securing Aukus partnership
Simon Birmingham spoke to ABC RN earlier this morning, also weighing in on US president Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the US presidential race.
The shadow foreign minister noted Biden’s role in the Aukus partnership and said he would leave a “strong legacy … in terms of our alliances and our relationship, and one that we must make sure the next administration builds upon”.
Joe Biden has been, and has continued, the tradition of US presidents being great friends to Australia, has continued that traditional mateship between our nations that has been so strong, and established one of the strongest alliances in the world.
Perhaps most critically under his administration, the Aukus partnership was initiated, agreed, and quite significantly secured bipartisan support in both the United States and in Australia, as part of the ongoing strengthening Indo-Pacific strategy and in response to the challenges of our time.
Rudd weighs in on Biden’s decision to withdraw
Australia’s ambassador to the US, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, also issued a statement after Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from presidential race. He wrote on X:
Leadership can be a lonely place. We can all take pause to recognise, and respect, the difficult decision President Joe Biden has made today. Thank you for your service, Mr President, and for always being guided by what you believe is best for your country. The US-Australia relationship has prospered under your leadership.
Albanese thanks Biden for ‘leadership and service’ as he withdraws from US presidential race
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has thanked US president Joe Biden for his “leadership and ongoing service” as he announced he would withdraw from the US presidential race, endorsing his vice-president Kamala Harris.
Albanese wrote in a post to X:
The Australia-US Alliance has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations.
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, noted Biden’s role in launching Aukus, which “the peoples of our two countries carry forward with energy and determination.”
Like American Presidents before him, Joe Biden has been a leader resolutely committed to the Alliance. I thank the President for the support and abiding friendship he has shown to Australia.
Welcome
Emily Wind
Happy Monday and welcome back to a new week on the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind and I’ll be bringing you our rolling coverage for most of the day.
Overnight, US president Joe Biden withdrew from his presidential re-election race and endorsed vice-president Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of their party’s ticket. Prime minister Anthony Albanese thanked Biden for his “leadership and ongoing service” and said the Australia-US alliance “has never been stronger”, while opposition leader Peter Dutton recognised Biden’s role in launching Aukus.
The Liberal senator Simon Birmingham spoke about the move on ABC RN earlier, noting it was a “historic moment”.
It’s historic in the way that it has occurred and the circumstances surrounding it. But … in a broader sense, what denotes this as being so significant, is it means there will be a new US president next January, a new US administration in place and therefore, a different set of bases for us to ensure that our strongest of alliances continues to be as strong as possible in the future.
We’ll bring you more of the local reaction to this news shortly.
As always, if you see something that needs attention on the blog you can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s get started.