Trump vows closer ties with Australia's new PM after rocky relations with Turnbull
US President Donald Trump has vowed to establish close ties with Australia’s newly-installed right-wing Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a congratulatory phone conversation, according to a White House account of the contact.
In a Saturday statement, the White House announced that Trump congratulated Morrison during the Friday phone call for his recent victory in a parliamentary vote, noting that the two would continue to "closely cooperate on priorities the two countries share."
Morrison was installed as Australia's seventh prime minister in 11 years on Friday after a stunning Liberal party revolt instigated by hardline conservatives ousted moderate Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull following a party backlash against his more liberal policies.
Former Australian home affairs minister Peter Dutton -- an ex-police officer and right-winger -- was the driving force behind the effort to oust Turnbull, but after a torrid week of political maneuvering in Canberra it was Morrison, a Turnbull ally who served as treasurer, who won a party vote 45-40.
Trump's call with Morrison follows a congratulatory tweet from the president Friday night in which he wrote, "Congratulations to new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. There are no greater friends than the United States and Australia!"
Readouts of Trump's phone conversations with foreign leaders have been released sparingly since the White House declared last month that it would halt publishing summaries of some of the president's conversations.
Trump’s phone communication with Morrison contrasted with a phone call he had with Turnball in January 2017 in which they famously clashed over an Obama-era agreement on refugees. At the time, Trump told Turnbull that their conversation was the most "unpleasant" he had with a foreign leader since taking the White House.
“I have had it,” Trump further told his Australian counterpart during the call, according to a transcript later disclosed by the US-based daily The Washington Post. “I have been making these calls all day, and this is the most unpleasant call all day.”
Trump also met with Turnbull at the White House earlier this year.
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