2GB Ben Fordham

BEN FORDHAM: Yes Christopher Pyne representing the Liberal Party, Anthony Albanese representing the Labor Party, they’re both in Parliament House Canberra, they were in question time this afternoon but no one was watching because they were all watching the United States election, I’m sorry about that Albo and Christopher, good afternoon to you both.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Good afternoon

ANTHONY ALBANESE: G’day, I think you were right and there were a few people in question time I think on their smart phones trying to find out what was happening as well.

BEN FORDHAM: Alright, who’s shocked, Christopher?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Who’s shocked? Oh I’m shocked, definitely shocked. I didn’t imagine that Donald Trump could be elected President, of course he’s not yet elected President, there is still a number of states to report, there were some very close races. I notice that Hilary Clinton has gained again in New Hampshire, which is a state that has been assumed was a Trump victory but she was only a matter of a handful of votes behind in New Hampshire. Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, all have significant, not Maine but have significant electoral college votes not yet called and what we’ve seen in recent elections as recently as George W Bush’s first election of course against Al Gore is that states that have been handed to a particular candidate we find sometimes change hands as more votes are counted and more postal votes et cetera so I don’t think you can absolutely be certain that Donald Trump has been elected but he has certainly done a great deal better than the political pundits expected and of course if he’s elected we will as an Australian government put our best foot forwards to work with whoever the President of the United States is because it’s our most important ally.

BEN FORDHAM: Alright Christopher Pyne admits that he is shocked by the result, Albo?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well I’m surprised is a term that I’d use. I was always concerned that this was a possibility but I did think that Clinton would win. I thought that her experience would count, quite clearly some of the polls as well have got it wrong in their predictions but, you know, we will have to as a nation work with whoever is selected President. I think Christopher’s quite right, I wouldn’t be declaring this election over yet, there are many more votes to be counted and certainly regardless of who falls across the line. I think it is going to be a real challenge the fact that it is so close and quite clearly America is so divided.

BEN FORDHAM: Well you’d have to say that Donald Trump is looking very, very strong at the moment, he’s a good chance to…

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Oh he clearly is the favourite.

BEN FORDHAM: He’s clearly the bloke who is most likely at the moment to be headed toward the White House and if that’s the case Albo and Christopher there’ll be a lot of people who’ll be thinking alright, well what have Australian political leaders said in the lead up to this election and your boss Bill Shorten certainly declared his hand didn’t he Albo?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well I think people who have a look at the things that Donald Trump has said will have great difficulty criticising anything that anyone else in politics has said about people.

BEN FORDHAM: Oh yeah but that’s part of the diplomacy of being a potential Prime Minister right, that you need to be smart enough to say well I’m not an American citizen, I don’t have a vote, I need to be respectful of whoever is in charge.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: It is possible that Donald Trump is about to be elected as the most powerful person in the western world and…

BEN FORDHAM: And your leader says he’s barking mad.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: And the statements that – and that’s no different from what members of his own political party, many of them senior Republicans members, indeed the fact that…

BEN FORDHAM: Yeah but Bill Shorten is a potential Prime Minister.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well George Bush, President Bush…

BEN FORDHAM: Former.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: No, no, you don’t lose your title.

BEN FORDHAM: Yeah you keep the title but he’s a former President, yeah you keep the title but he’s not running for President.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Couldn’t even bring himself to vote for Donald Trump.

BEN FORDHAM: He’s out of politics, Bill Shorten is in politics, he wants to be Prime Minister, let me play you, this is what he said it was on Hot 100 FM in May in Darwin, have a listen to Bill Shorten talking about Donald Trump.

[Audio clip begins]

BILL SHORTEN: My Party is very supportive of the Australia-America alliance so whatever they bowl up we’ll work with, let me be really clear, but I got in trouble on the campaign trail for saying what I think, I think Donald Trump’s views are just barking mad in some issues.

JOURNALIST: It’s scary as well.

BILL SHORTEN: And some people had a crack and said you’re not allowed to say that, I thought well John Howard did I just happened to agree, I just…

[Audio clip ends]

BEN FORDHAM: John Howard didn’t say barking mad I think he said that he was…

ANTHONY ALBANESE: He just said that Al Qaeda will be hoping for a Barack Obama win, I mean seriously. That in terms of a serious comment is…

BEN FORDHAM: Alright let me ask you Christopher Pyne how big a problem is that going to be for Bill Shorten if Donald Trump becomes President?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well Bill Shorten was very unwise as an alternative Prime Minister to say such undiplomatic things about a potential President of the United States and he should have known that. He made a mistake, a significant mistake, it’s one thing to talk about Donald Trump’s views, whether it’s about building a wall around Mexico et cetera, it’s quite another thing to personally denigrate and reflect on him. It was undiplomatic, I would be very surprised if he would be repeating those remarks, and what it proves is that Bill Shorten isn’t really ready – is a long way from being ready to be the Prime Minister of this country.

BEN FORDHAM: How could he possibly go and have a meeting if Donald Trump becomes President and Bill Shorten became Prime Minister, how could be possibly go and have a meeting with the leader of the free world who knows that he called him barking mad Albo?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: No you just played the tape Ben, and when you played the tape…

BEN FORDHAM: Barking mad.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: No, no, read the quote if you’ve got a transcription, he said some of his views, that’s what he said.

BEN FORDHAM: Okay.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I just heard the recording.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Yes and that’s what he said, his views.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: He said he was barking mad.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: No he said his views, and issues like, I assume that he was referring to issues like building a wall between the United States and Mexico is quite and extraordinary proposition.

BEN FORDHAM: Well hang on, we’ve built a wall around Australia, that’s called the Pacific Solution, it’s called border protection isn’t it?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well if you think that he will actually build a wall between Mexico and the United States then…

BEN FORDHAM: You don’t think he will?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I think you’ll find many of, if he does get to be President, I think you’ll find that many of the views that he’s put forward don’t have the support of his own party.

BEN FORDHAM: Alright, Christopher let me ask you this one before I let you guys go, if this is going to play out the way we think it is, if Donald Trump becomes President and Bill Shorten has got this problem where he’s said that his views are barking mad Albo may need to step up don’t you think?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well Albo is ready, he is waiting in the wings to be the leader, there’s no doubt about that and this just confirms another step along the way for Anthony. He’s always been much more diplomatic that our Bill.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: We’re on 53% of the 2 party preferred vote.

BEN FORDHAM: Hey gentlemen thank you so much for coming on a big day, thank you for doing so.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Get your suit dry cleaned Anthony.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Good to be with you.