Donald Trump’s triumph in the US presidential contest caught many off-guard, including Australia’s politicians. Michelle Grattan tells University of Canberra vice-chancellor Professor Deep Saini the predictions within the government were that Hillary Clinton would win.
“There was a feeling that they knew what was happening and they were basically across the coming agenda from the United States. Now of course the Trump victory has meant that there’s a great deal of re-thinking and uncertainty,” Grattan says.
“It’s interesting that Malcolm Turnbull was very quick to ring the president-elect, congratulate him, note that they were both former businessmen who’d gone into politics quite late in their careers and try to establish an early relationship. But behind this there is a good deal of uncertainty about knowing how this is going to affect the world and our region in particular.”