Australian news and politics recap April 2: Howard says US President Donald Trump ‘not a real conservative’

This concludes our live news and politics coverage for the day.

Scroll back through for all the updates from Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton as they try to win voters over on their election campaign trails. Plus, China accuses Mr Dutton of “beating the drums of war” while throwing support to Mr Albanese. And, former prime minister John Howard has a go at Donald Trump and shares his views on Mr Dutton.

Thanks for joining us. Check back in tomorrow for live upates on Donald Trump’s looming ‘Liberation Day’.

The latest edition of The Nightly is out now. Read it here.

Earlier in his interview on The Kenny Report on Sky News, former prime minister John Howard shared his views on the US President, saying he didn’t believe Donald Trump was a “real conservative”.

“Trump is centre-right so to speak, although in my view he’s not a real conservative,” Mr Howard said.

“There’s a lot of conservative values that I hold that he apparently doesn’t. He attacks his own security services, I don’t think that makes any sense. On the other hand things he’s said about gender identity and university and so forth I agree with, most sensible Australians do.”

But Mr Howard labelled those topics as “the low hanging fruit”.

“That’s the easy part,” he said. “The harder part is what you do to your allies. To undermine Canada … I find it inexplicable.”

When asked about Peter Dutton, Mr Howard said he wasn’t “obsessed” with Mr Trump like it had been made out.

“I don’t think Peter Dutton should become obsessed with Trump, and he’s not,” he said. “He knows what the Labor party is up to.”

When asked about US President Donald Trumps looming tariffs, former prime minister John Howard was pretty clear in his stance.

“I disagree with tariffs on economic grounds,” he said. “I made up my mind with the stupidity of tariffs 15 or 20 years ago. They do not help local jobs, all they do is increase local prices.”

Mr Howard labelled the attitude President Trump has taken towards great allies of Americas in the past as “really blameworthy”.

“Canada,” he pointed out. “Has he forgotten that when the allies launched operation overlord to liberate Europe from the nazis that the third largest of the invading armies was Canadian?

“Has he forgotten the Canadian contribution in Afghanistan?”

Former Prime Minister John Howard says Peter Dutton is a “serious player” who is humble and “not full of himself”.

He described him as “strong, purposeful, steady” who had seen a lot as a previous police office and in his time in parliament.

“He’s a serious player and he gives the impression of somebody who’s been around,” he told Sky News on Wednesday.

“I think they see in Dutton an unexpectedly strong, serious leader.

“He’s not full of himself, and does understand the good and the bad in society.

“He’s well grounded. You can’t serve almost a decade in the police force without seeing life often at its worst, but also sometimes pleasingly at its best.”

Former Prime Minister John Howard says he’s not sure “grumpy” previous Liberal voters will stick with Teals this election.

“I think there’s a real possibility that you may get a bigger movement in the teal-held seats,” he told Sky News on Wednesday.

“A lot of the predictions are based on the TEALS. All hanging on. Well, I’m not sure that’s going to happen

“I think a lot of people who voted for the Teals did so because they were grumpy for one or other reasons with the Liberals, I don’t think that’s the case now. I think they like Dutton.”

Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard has labelled US-style politics as “far inferior” to the Westminster system but said Australia needs to work with the superpower.

Speaking on Sky News on Wednesday afternoon, he said Australia needs to remember the US are “allies and friends” amid the trade chaos under Donald Trump’s new regime.

“Are allies and friends - we shouldn’t lose sight of that fact but their politics (are) different,” he said.

“Their political system, in my view, is far inferior to the Westminster system.

“You would never have had a presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump a few months ago, if you’d have had a Westminster system.

“In my view, neither of them would have got to the leadership of their own parties in our system.”

A furore which erupted around the presence of the Chinese research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao off the South Australian coast has deepen after the Chinese Embassy has hit out at Australian media for their language around its presence.

In a statement released on Wednesday, a Chinese Embassy spokesman reiterated that ship’s sole objective in the region was for research and had fully complied with international laws outside of Australia’s economic zone.

The spokesman also slammed media reporting of its presence in the region as “smearing” the scientific research activities.

“Politicising or stigmatising of the research activities is disrespectful to global scientific development,” he said in a statement.

The spokesman called for an end to “groundless suspicion and speculations”.

“We are strongly against that,” he said.

“As science knows no borders, over recent years China has conducted joint scientific expeditions with multiple countries, making positive contribution to global marine biodiversity protection and sustainable development.

“The vessel has all along carried out normal activities at sea and has performed no operation in the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone.

“These activities are not directed at any third party and have nothing to do with China-Australia relations, let alone the Australian federal election.

“China always upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, and does not want to participate in, interfere with, or comment on Australia’s election.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hasn’t ruled out lodging a complaint with the World Trade Organization if Australia is swept up in Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.

The US President is expected to reveal the new tariffs regime at the White House at 7am AEDT on Thursday.

Australia haven’t declared they will implement retaliatory tariffs but haven’t ruled it out.

“We’re not picking a fight with anyone,” the PM told Sydney radio on Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m not pre-empting the decision and announcement that may be made at 7am tomorrow.

“What we’re doing is supporting our US free trade agreement that says that goods and services between our two nations should be tariff free.

“That’s what we’re doing, supporting our agreement, holding to our word, standing up for Australia’s national interest, and calling for the United States not only to stand up for that agreement, but to stand up to their own interests as well.

We’ve seen some level of unpredictability in the decision making process in the United States will await that decision, and then we’ll have a calm, considered, calibrated response, which is in Australia’s national interest.”

Legendary Hollywood actor Val Kilmer, who played both Batman and Jim Morrison, has died aged 65.

His daughter Mercedes Kilmer revealed the star died from pneumonia.

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but recovered from that illness.

The celebrated actor won universal acclaim for his portrayal of The Doors frontman Jim Morrison in the 1991 film The Doors.

He played Bruce Wayne and Batman in Batman Forever, starring opposite Nicole Kidman.

Read more about Val Kilmer’s life here.