Trump tide
With Donald Trump on track for victory in the US presidential election, Australia's leaders are already turning their minds to what the results mean for them.
A strange vibe enveloped the Australian Parliament on Wednesday. The armies of journalists, staffers and lobbyists usually wandering the halls were thin on the ground, and it was clear even our own elected representatives had other matters on their minds.
As the results of key swing states in the United States presidential election were starting to filter in, suggesting Donald Trump would prevail over Kamala Harris, Question Time was getting under way in the House of Representatives.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took the opportunity to praise President Joe Biden, but he also made the point that the alliance between Australia and the US “has always been bigger than individuals”. This sparked jeers from Coalition members who were no doubt relishing the awkwardness of the situation before Speaker Milton Dick told them to shut it.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton then rose to the dispatch box on a matter of indulgence, saying he wanted to echo Albanese’s praise of Biden who had been a “very strong friend of Australia for a very long time”. He also said the alliance would endure regardless of who wins power.
