Anthony Albanese confident of Trump phone call after election outcome
Anthony Albanese will seek a phone call with Donald Trump on tariff negotiations should he be re-elected as prime minister after Saturdayâs election.
The US President has confirmed heâs aware the federal government has been trying to get in touch to reach a trade deal, after Australia was slapped with 10 per cent tariffs on goods exports to America.
âThey are calling and I will be talking to [Albanese], yes,â Trump told reporters at the White House overnight.
The Prime Minister said Trumpâs remark was a âthrowaway commentâ, but indicated he would aim for a phone conversation, depending on the outcome of Saturdayâs election.
âIâm not staying up at night trying to ring anyone at the moment, Iâm in an election campaign,â Albanese told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
âIâm sure if we are successful, we will have a discussion after Saturday,â he said.
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âWe have a relationship. Weâve already had a couple of phone calls, but I assure you that my campaign is front and centre.â
Albanese said that while a phone call with Trump was not a guarantee, a conversation with world leaders, such as the American president, was likely after the election, should he win a second term.
At the final leadersâ debate of the campaign on Sunday, Albanese said he wasnât sure if the US president had a mobile when asked if he had his number, before adding that such matters were usually conducted on a more official basis.
Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash said the fact that Albanese hadnât been able to get another one-on-one call with Trump showed there was no relationship with the Australian ally under Labor.
âThe previous coalition government â which, because of the nature of the relationship that we had â we were successful in getting the exemption from the steel and aluminium tariffs (under the previous Trump administration),â Cash said.
âSo after this election, we look forward â if we are elected â to speaking with our greatest ally, the United States of America,â she added.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers said while Australia wasnât the only country affected by US tariffs, the government was âuniquely well placedâ to argue its case for their removal.
âWeâve made it clear weâre engaging wherever we can, whenever we can â obviously, that happens at the highest levels as well,â Chalmers told ABC radio.
âWe think that those tariffs are unwarranted, we think theyâre unwise,â he said.
âTreasury modelling ⌠makes it clear we are concerned about the impact on global demand and global growth.â
The US Presidentâs comments were being viewed in a positive light, Labor minister Murray Watt said.
âWe have to take him at his word on that and we look forward to being able to continue the engagement weâve had with the American administration about the tariffs that we think are totally unjustified,â he told Nineâs Today show on Wednesday.
Watt confirmed that Australiaâs approaches were being conducted at various levels, including the US Ambassador Kevin Rudd and department officials, given the Labor government was in caretaker mode ahead of Saturdayâs election.
Trump has also slapped a 25 per cent tariff on Australian steel and aluminium exports to the United States.
The goods tariff took effect on April 5, while the steel and aluminium tariff began on March 12.
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