PRIME MINISTER:
Good evening, on behalf of the Australian Government I offer my congratulations to President-elect, Donald Trump on his historic election victory of which he has just spoken moments ago in New York. And we also offer our best wishes to Secretary Hillary Clinton, who has fought a long and hard-fought campaign.
Let me say that I understand that Australians have been confronted by the intensity of the political battle in the United States. President-elect Trump himself described it as being at times a nasty campaign, and it was certainly by our standards, a very bitter one. You have seen already the way he has reached out to bring Americans together. And the American people do fight their political contests hard. But this great nation of the United States has the capacity to come together and it will, behind the leaders, behind the President that they have chosen.
Now, we have no stronger relationship; whether it is on the battlefield or in commerce, than we have with the United States. They are a great and powerful nation; they are a great and powerful friend. And our relationship with the United States is built on millions of Australians and Americans who have been working together, fighting together, serving together, for over a century. We have stood together in so many conflicts - stood together side by side.
Americans understand that they have no stronger ally, no better friend, than Australia. And the enduring national interests of our two countries are such that our relationship will continue to be strong; we will continue to work together as we have done with many presidents in years past, to take on the challenges of our time. Whether it is the challenges of global terrorism, or whether it is the challenges of ensuring that we maintain the stable of our economic order - whether it is the challenge of ensuring that we maintain the stability in our region which is underpinned by the strength of the United States, which has been the foundation of the rules-based order in our part of the world, that has seen the most extraordinary transformation in living standards in human history.
So I have great confidence that all of our engagement will continue to be strong and intimate, filled with the trust confidence that has characterised it for so many years.
The Obama administration will continue until January 20th. And I want to acknowledge the great leadership President Obama, Vice-President Biden, and their whole administration has given during their term in office. President Obama has guided the United States and led the world through many challenges; challenges of the global financial crisis, dealing with the challenges of terrorism, dealing with the challenges we face in the Middle East where our servicemen and women are fighting side by side with their American comrades.
So, this is a historic moment, it's been a long campaign, it's one that Australians have witnessed with awe, with consternation indeed, from time to time. Let me reassure all Australians that the ties that bind Australia and the United States are profound, they are strong, they are based on our enduring national interests.
Politicians and governments, Congressmen, Senators, Prime Ministers and Cabinets, will come and go according to the will of the people of Australia and the United States, but the bond between our two nations, our shared common interests, our shared national interests, are so strong, are so committed, that we will continue to work with our friends in the United States through the Trump administration, just as we have through the Obama administration, just as we always will.
We have so much in common. Shared values, democracy, the rule of law, maintaining the international order upon which our security and prosperity depends. So the American people have made a great and momentous choice today. We congratulate president-elect Trump and we look forward to working closely as ever with his administration as it is formed and when it takes office early next year.
Thank you very much.
Ends