The morning after the election here, President Joe Biden, in Seoul on the first leg of his first major trip to Asia to engage with the US’s principal allies in the Indo-Pacific, was on the phone to Anthony Albanese:

“President Biden spoke with Australian Prime Minister-Designate Anthony Albanese to congratulate him on his election as Australia’s 31^st prime minister. President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ steadfast commitment to the U.S-Australia alliance and his intent to work closely with the new government to make it stronger still. President Biden expressed deep appreciation for the Prime Minister-Designate’s own early commitment to the alliance, reflected in his decision to travel almost immediately to Tokyo to attend the Quad Summit—a vital opportunity to exchange views and continue to drive practical cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. President Biden looks forward to a close partnership between our administrations that will benefit the American people, the Australian people, and the world, starting with consequential meetings in Japan this week.”

Bruce Wolpe on ticker NEWS

The foundations of the alliance are exceptionally strong, capped last year with the announcement of the AUKUS strategic partnership.  

At any summit meeting between leaders, or when they get on a video call, what becomes so important is the resonance, the chemistry between them. 

That deeper personal chemistry has informed the quality of the ties between several prime ministers and presidents:  Bob Hawke and George H W Bush in the first Gulf War to liberate Kuwait; Paul Keating and Bill Clinton to establish APEC; John Howard and George W Bush on 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the US-Australia free trade agreement; Kevin Rudd and Barack Obama to get Australia into the G20;  Julia Gillard and Obama stationing Marines in Darwin and the pivot to Asia; Scott Morrison and Donald Trump in alliance against China and exempting Australia from Trump’s trade wars.  

It has not been all sweetness and light:  Tony Abbott and Barack Obama famously disagreed on global warming, especially on its endangerment of the Great Barrier Reef.  Their discussions were chilly while the globe warmed.

The new PM’s relationship with Biden will have a special dimension.

In Anthony Albanese, Biden will see someone very close to his life experience and values

• They both come from poorer backgrounds, and they know what it means for families to pull themselves up. 

• They are both Catholic.

• They both strongly support unions and good union jobs. Biden is pro-union, pro-worker and pro-manufacturing.  So is Albanese.

• They are both huge on infrastructure.  It is Biden’s strongest achievement in Congress so far, and Albanese served as Infrastructure Minister for 6 years.  They can talk planes, trains and broadband.

• Albanese has taken a Biden-style agenda to his campaign.  Biden won office with Build Back Better and Albanese’s hopes are with A Better Future.  

• They both support policies that have at their core helping working families not only with higher wages and good jobs, but also helping them shoulder the cost of living for childcare, education, medicines, and care for seniors.

• Labor is simpatico with Biden on climate, electric vehicles and renewable energy.  In fact, an Albanese government can get more enacted on climate than Biden can in this or the next Congress.

Joe and Anthony will find themselves talking the same language.  They already do. When they shake hands, the Prime Minster will say, “Everyone calls me Albo.” And Joe will.

At the end of the Tokyo talks, we should expect Biden to invite Albo to Washington, and for the PM to invite the President to come to Australia.  They will want to spend more time together.