Donald Trump tariffs give Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton chance to 'show strength'
Donald Trump’s trade war offers Australia’s leaders a chance to show strength and reinvigorate their federal election campaigns.
Australia has been slapped with a 10 per cent tariff on goods sent to America after the US president revealed a suite of measures against his nation’s trading partners.
While there are exemptions for certain industries, the decision has fuelled anxiety and created an opening for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to prove their worth as they try to win over voters.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“It’s an opportunity for both to show strength,” said Headline Advisory director and The Nightly writer Andrew Carswell, who previously served as a media adviser to former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison.
One country that has already used the tariffs as political fuel is Canada.
America’s northern neighbour will go to a national election less than a week before Australians take to their own ballot boxes on May 3.
The Canadian Liberal Party has completely turned around its political chances after appointing a new leader who has vowed to fight back with his “elbows up”, referencing a hockey move used to ward off others.
“You can see a template for turning this into a genuine election campaign issue, that is otherwise pretty devoid of policy,” Australian National University politics lecturer Jill Sheppard told AAP.
Canada has copped worse blows from the US than Australia, having been hit with a blanket 25 per cent tariff and the threat of American invasion.
Australians are growing increasingly worried about the US, with 60 per cent now believing Mr Trump’s election has been bad for Australia, a recent poll in the Nine newspapers found.
This could present more of a political opportunity for Mr Albanese, who is often perceived as weaker than his opponent.
“The strength that Peter Dutton will show and has shown is already baked into people’s thinking,” Mr Carswell told AAP.
“It’s an opportunity for Albanese to change people’s mindsets about him - that he is strong, that he can stand up for Australia.”
However, the prime minister - unlike the Canadian nominee - does not have a clean slate, Dr Sheppard warned.
He has already been in office and doesn’t have “runs on the board” in dealing with the Republican administration compared to the coalition, which negotiated a tariff exemption during Mr Trump’s first term under then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
On the other hand, Mr Dutton has to thread the needle by spruiking his connections to the US president without appearing so close that he could not stand up to him, Dr Sheppard said.
The government will continue to negotiate with the US and advocate for Australia, the prime minister has said, while Mr Dutton maintained he had the experience and leadership to fight for his country.
