RUBY:

From Schwartz Media, I’m Ruby Jones, this is 7am.

Joe Biden’s victory in the United States has already had ramifications for Australian politics.
Both major parties are dealing with internal tension as they grapple with what the end of the Trump era means.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the political shockwaves rolling across the Pacific.

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RUBY:

Paul, Donald Trump is still refusing to concede the election, but as it's become clear that Joe Biden has won, how have our leaders here in Australia responded?

PAUL:

So as the Biden victory slowly built a head of steam matched by Trump's unfounded claims that the election was being stolen, well, Labour leader Anthony Albanese thought he'd score a political point, but he made a rather naive challenge to the Prime Minister.

Archival Tape -- Anthony Albanese

“He should be contacting president Trump and conveying Australia’s strong view that democratic processes must be respected”

PAUL:

Anthony Albanese last week said Morrison should defend democracy by calling Donald Trump and getting him to accept the results of the election. I think it was Albanese pushing the envelope to try to show that Morrison claimed he was a mate of Trump's, but he couldn't even ring him.

Archival Tape -- Anthony Albanese

“Australia should consistently argue for free and fair elections, where every vote is counted. And Scott Morrison must do so consistently.”

PAUL:

Well, the Prime Minister ignored, if not resisted the call.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“Well I found it frankly a little odd that he would think that Australia should take a different position to every other world leader. I’ve simply said the same thing that other world leaders have said, and that is we respect the institutions, we respect democracy, and we should be patient…”

RUBY:

But Scott Morrison, he has now congratulated Joe Biden on his win?

PAUL:

Yeah he has - as soon as the election was called by the US media outlets, Morrison tweeted his response. After that, in the formality of the Australian Parliament on Monday, he saluted the Biden victory, and that was pretty important because it underlined our acceptance of the American democracy.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“I join with other nations and other nations' leaders and say on behalf of the Australian government and the Australian people that I congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their election”

PAUL:

Morrison emphasised that he was joining other nations in doing so, and he was doing it as an enduring alliance partner. The Prime Minister spoke about the Australian alliance with the US, which he says is built on fundamental shared values.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“We share now in that special custodianship of a relationship that has endured so long and been so important to the citizens of both our countries. I have absolutely every confidence that it will continue to go from strength to strength as we work again with an old friend of Australia, President-elect Joe Biden.”

RUBY:

And what about Anthony Albanese?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby, perhaps realising his call was a bit over the top, he backtracked.

Archival Tape -- Anthony Albanese

“No, I have said very clearly – I have said very clearly that what Scott Morrison needed to do was to stand up for democratic values and to make that publicly. He’s done that. He’s done that today. That’s a good thing…”

PAUL:

The opposition leader told reporters on Sunday that Morrison had now stood up for democracy. And it's notable, Ruby, that both sides of politics in Australia have repudiated Trump's scorched earth tactics - you know, their tactics often employed by defeated combatants as they retreat, just leaving wreckage for their victors to deal with.

So when it was all said and done, Australia's political leaders were actually amongst the first to declare their faith in America's democratic system when the Biden victory in the presidential election became clear. They both know that what was at stake was the credibility of a nation that for the past 75 years has claimed and indeed performed the role of the leader of the free world.

RUBY:

OK, so Morrison and Albanese are in harmony then. On this, however, is this show of solidarity somewhat undermined by the response from other coalition members, people like George Christensen?

PAUL:

Well, you could say that, especially if you take them very seriously. But the fact is, some members of the coalition backbench have been echoing Trump's conspiracy theories. The National’s George Christensen, for one, kept posting the latest bizarre theories on social media, despite Facebook superimposing warnings of, quote, “false information checked by independent fact checkers”, end quote.

But it's not only the usual suspects on the crazy right of the government wondering if Morrison's endorsement of the Biden win was premature. Others privately are saying to me that they're worried that such as the vehemence of Trump's victory claims and multiple legal challenges, that perhaps there's something in it. And I've got to say, in that, the defeated President has succeeded in undermining the legitimacy of the Biden victory, not only in these people's view, but in many, which I'm sure is his whole intention.

RUBY:

Right. But overall, Paul, these views are not common?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby, Australia and America's other Five Eyes security partners are determined to quash those doubts. Our ambassador in Washington, Arthur Sinodinos, was in urgent talks with his counterparts from Canada, New Zealand and Britain. The leaders of all four countries were quick to accept the election outcome as it was tabulated by the major American media outlets from results posted by the vote count in all 50 states. And there was nothing new or unusual about that. And in Canberra, both parties are now focusing on what this change in presidency will mean for them.

RUBY:

We'll be back in a moment.

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RUBY:

Paul, let's look forward to what a Biden presidency means for Australia. How do you think it will reshape the politics of the major parties?

PAUL:

It'll certainly put pressure on them - let's start with Labour. Now comes the task, Ruby, of adapting to the global leadership on key issues that Biden is promising. Albanese was fast out of the blocks, he had a simple message on the weekend: President-elect Biden is committed to net zero emissions by 2050, in stark contrast to the Morrison government.

Archival Tape -- Anthony Albanese

“Australia is now isolated on climate change and was at the last international conference. Scott Morrison pretends that black is white…”

PAUL:

The Labour leader says that Australia is now isolated on climate change. He noted that all our major trading partners have committed to the net zero target. China has nominated 2060. Morrison only hopes to get there sometimes in the second half of the century, although under a bit of pressure this week in parliament, he brought that forward, saying he hopes we might get there sooner.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“Now Mr Speaker when it comes to the matter of net zero by 2050, Australia would like to meet that as quickly as possible and as quickly as is able, Mr Speaker, and that is why the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction has set out the technology road map, which is the way that that can be achieved…”

PAUL:

But Ruby, Labour's resources spokesman, Joel Fitzgibbon, well, he had a different message. As he left his home in the Hunter Valley to come to Canberra for parliament, he began calling journalists. His concern was that the Biden victory, and the new president's ambitious policies on climate change, would lead his colleagues to what he called ‘overreach’. And this overreach would lead to yet another election defeat. He's convinced that Biden's commitment to a carbon target in 30 years time wasn't the most significant factor in the election result.

RUBY:

Right. And so what was the fallout from that from Joel Fitzgibbon breaking ranks like this?

PAUL:

Well, Albanese was furious that one of his frontbench was running such public interference, especially as the Biden win was a perfect opportunity for a reset. Well, it led to an angry blow up at Monday night's shadow cabinet meeting in Canberra - Albanese tackled his ‘old mate’, as he calls him, head on. Shadow Attorney-General from Victoria Mark Dreyfus chimed in, calling Fitzgibbon a disgrace. And Fitzgibbon, according to sources in the room, shot back: ‘Shut up, you idiot.’ Some thought Albanese was on the brink of sacking Fitzgibbon, but he was beaten to the punch; the Resources Spokesman decided then and there to quit the portfolio.

Archival Tape -- Joel Fitzgibbon

“This morning I went to see my mate Anthony Albanese, and informed him that I was stepping down from the Shadow Cabinet effective immediately…”

RUBY:

Sounds fiery, Paul. What have they all said about that meeting since?

PAUL:

Well, interestingly, Ruby, I guess with so many witnesses and neither Fitzgibbon nor Dreifus contradicted the reports of their biffo in Shadow Cabinet when they gave interviews midweek. Dreyfus told ABC Radio in Melbourne that Fitzgibbon represents no more than a handful of votes in the party room, and that the election of Joe Biden means the US, and the world, will be taking more action on climate change and not less. Not surprisingly, it was gold for Morrison, who paints Fitzgibbon as a victim of Labour's climate zealots, at the expense of coal miners and resource workers in regional Australia.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“The Member for Hunter has been driven out of the Shadow Cabinet, Mr Speaker. Driven out. Driven out by an ideological group of zealots, Mr Speaker, on that side of the House, who have no interest in the jobs of Australians in regional areas…”

PAUL:

But you know, Ruby Joel Fitzgibbon's concerns over Biden-inspired overreach are not confined to climate change. They also go to heading off any temptation Albanese might have to repeal the tax cuts for high income earners due to come in in 2024.

Archival Tape -- Joel Fitzgibbon

“I have a very simple view on this question of tax. Never get in the way of a punter and a legislated tax cut.”

PAUL:

The 130 billion dollar package would see someone on an income of 200,000 dollars getting a cut of just over 9,000 dollars a year. While someone on 50,000 gets just 125 dollars a year.
Well, Albanese tried to knock this top end generosity out when it came into the parliament, and has kept open the option of looking at it again. And I've got to tell you, this has already given Morrison the opening to brand the Labour leader as ‘big taxing’ as his predecessor, Bill Shorten.

RUBY:

Hmm. So is that a line that you think will work, Paul?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby, election reviews showed voters trusted Morrison more on tax and the economy than his Labour opponents. And the fact is that, like in America, it'll be the voters who will have the last say on this at the next election. Democracy, Ruby, messy and all as it is, thankfully still rules in both countries.

RUBY:

Paul, thank you so much for your time today.

PAUL:

Thank you, Ruby, bye.

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RUBY:

Also in the news today…

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has held his first phone-call with President-elect Joe Biden. They discussed the US-Australia alliance and, according to Biden, the need to confront climate change.

And the Federal Government has announced a special investigator will be appointed to prosecute allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. It comes as a long-awaited report into the conduct of special forces is set to be released.

7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper.

It’s produced by Ruby Schwartz, Atticus Bastow, and Michelle Macklem.

Elle Marsh is our features and field producer, in a position supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.

Brian Campeau mixes the show.

Our editor is Osman Faruqi. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief.

Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio.

New episodes of 7am are released every weekday morning.

You can subscribe on your favourite podcast app to make sure you don’t miss out.

I’m Ruby Jones, this is 7am, see you Monday.