Credit to Penny Wong’s discipline as a media performer. Across an extraordinarily busy morning of eight interviews on television, radio and at a doorstop outside parliament, Wong faced a near identical barrage of questions about the Australian government’s reaction to Donald Trump’s comeback campaign.
And Wong gave variations on the same answers in each, as if played on repeat.
Has the PM spoken to Mr Trump? Did you need Greg Norman’s help to get in touch? When Anthony Albanese calls him, does he have to say, look, I'm really sorry, Donald, for those years ago, I said, you scare the s-h-i-t out of me?
Wong batted away these type of topics easily with familiar pledges to “work very closely with America as an old ally and a true friend” and notions of shared democratic values. The PM has since spoken with Trump for a congratulatory phone call.
But it was also striking how uniform the line of questioning was across the various interviews. Wong was asked each time about the fate of Kevin Rudd, for instance, given his past colourful descriptions of Trump as “nuts” and Trump saying he’d heard Rudd was a little bit “nasty”. Wong responded simply that Rudd was an excellent ambassador able to work with Democrats and Republicans alike.
That issue of confidence was Wong’s touchstone, a subtle reminder that just because Trump might have a strong opinion, Australia doesn’t have to adjust its approach to suit.
This fed to AUKUS questions, and whether the nuclear-powered submarine deal could be at risk or cost more under a Trump administration?
“This is a multi-generational multi-government project,” Wong said, pointing several times to her reassuring dealings with Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State in Trump’s first term and expected to play a role in his new administration.
But if there was a theme that shone through in Wong’s messages, it was that Australia should be confident in itself. This came in response to what is the most immediately substantive issue in terms of potential cost to Australia – that of Trump’s tariff plans.
Trump has pledged sweeping protections for US industry, from a 100% tariff on cars manufactured in China to threatening Mexico with escalating restrictions over people crossing the border. The consequences this could hold for a trading nation like Australia with a huge China market is an obvious question.
Across most of the interviews, Wong parried by returning to the touchstone of national self-confidence. “We shouldn’t be surprised if things change,” she said. “What I would say to your listeners is we should be confident in ourselves, in our place in the world and the ability of Australians to work together to deliver on our interests as Australians.” You can see more examples of her returning to the theme in the graphic above.
And Wong’s invocation of national confidence also served as a subtle reminder to her questioners in the press pack, that just because Trump might have a strong opinion, Australia doesn’t have to adjust its approach to suit.
