Malcolm Turnbull has suggested Donald Trump’s message about driving economic growth had vindicated his message during the Australian election campaign for “jobs and growth”.
The prime minister said while sections of the elite media had talked about issues such as section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, he had concentrated on the economy.
Turnbull said he had focused on employment so much that he had been parodied for it.
“I’ve been parodied and satirised for talking about jobs and growth too much,” Turnbull told the ABC’s 7.30 program.
“Donald Trump has presented himself, rightly or wrongly ... and people can form all sorts of judgments about that – he has been elected.
“One of his compelling arguments to many Americans was that he was going to make America great again, he was going to do that by driving economic growth.
“So economic growth is the foundation for all of our abilities to achieve our aspirations.”
Asked how he kept in touch with his constituency in the context of the Trump victory, Turnbull said he had also been parodied for catching public transport, which was an important way of keeping in touch.
“Public transport is important – you meet a lot of people you wouldn’t otherwise meet and all my life I have been able to meet and mix with people from every background, every part of the country,” Turnbull said.
“Only a little while ago I was in the APY lands in very small Aboriginal communities in remote South Australia. I’ve been out in western Queensland – again, just very recently. It’s a big country and I get around to as much of it as I can.”
Turnbull said he was confident Australia would be able to speak candidly with the new president and he remained confident the United States under Trump would cooperate with Australia on the deal for the US to take refugees from Nauru and Manus Island.
But he refused to say what Australia would be providing in return.
Turnbull said the refugees would be included as part of the United States total intake, so they would not push the US over its total planned number.
