Australia’s prime minister said on Sunday he trusts US President Donald Trump to support the two countries’ defence relationship despite their “different values” on trade, in a final television debate before May 3 elections.
The high cost of living is the biggest concern of voters, according to opinion polls, but the US imposition of 10 per cent trade tariffs on long-time ally Australia has elbowed its way into a tight election battle.
Asked if he trusted Trump to have Australia’s back on security, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “Yes.”
The Australian leader, whose centre-left Labor Party has a narrow lead in the polls over the conservative opposition, said US lawmakers he met had expressed “universal” support for their defence ties.
“I think that gives us confidence is that it’s in the United States’ interests as well as in Australia’s interest,” he said.
But Albanese said he and Trump had “different views, different values”.
