Doorstop, Canberra

Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Thanks very much. Can I first congratulate on behalf of the Government, as the Prime Minister has, President Trump on his election. It was an emphatic victory. We look forward to working with him. We have an alliance that's historic, that's grounded in shared history, shared democratic values and shared objectives, and we look forward to working with him on behalf of the Australian people. Happy to take questions.

Journalist: Are you worried about the Prime Minister's comments back in 2017 when he said that Donald Trump scares the s*** out of him?

Foreign Minister: Look, I think that this is an alliance that is bigger than any individual, that is bigger than any past comments, that is about the big issues that we face as a nation, as a region and as a globe. I have confidence that just as different administrations and different Australian Governments have worked together, we will work very closely with the Trump Administration to deliver on things that are very important to Australia, including the AUKUS pact.

Journalist: Kevin Rudd has also made disparaging remarks in the past. Do you still have confidence in him that he's the best person in Washington to represent Australia?

Foreign Minister: Absolutely, what I point you to is his track record. We were really pleased to see the delivery of legislation for the Congress to deliver AUKUS. Really pleased to see some of the changes that have been delivered, with bipartisan support, Republican support, for AUKUS. Kevin's worked very hard with the rest of the team at the embassy to deliver that. I was pleased to meet with Mike Pompeo and other senior Republicans when I was last in the United States, and we made it very clear the priority we give to AUKUS, and we're pleased that it's shared.

Journalist: The Greens have also described this outcome as terrifying. In a statement, they're calling on the Australian Government now to cancel the AUKUS pact. What's your response to that?

Foreign Minister: Well, the Greens continue to demonstrate their irresponsibility over and over again, but I would say this to Australians. First, remember what AUKUS is about, assuring the peace. It's about deterrence to assure the peace in a contested region. Secondly, the capability we gain under the submarines to be delivered under AUKUS is a sovereign capability. And the alliance matters to Australia's interests. We are confident of our ability to continue to navigate these times, and I don't think that the Greens’ approach is a responsible one.

Journalist: What do you think of the Trump Administration's abortion bans?

Foreign Minister: We have our own views in this country. My views on that are public and clear, the Government's views are public and clear and I think the views of the Australian community are public and clear.

Journalist: Are you worried about sticking to the Paris Agreement when a country like America could pull out? What would be the point to you?

Foreign Minister: Well, two points I'd make. Firstly, this is a time when we will see change. President Trump has campaigned on change. We shouldn't be surprised if there's change. One of the areas we know from the previous Trump Administration, as they did withdraw from the Paris Agreement, Australia didn't, because we don't believe it's in our in our national interest. You said, what is the point? Apart from the imperative of climate change, there is the imperative of the economic transition. We are going to have to be able to prosper in a world where many and much of the global economy is moving to net zero. So we have to have an economic transition in Australia so that our children, our grandchildren, have the benefits of being able to prosper in such a world. Thank you very much. Thank you.