Australia's alliance with the United States goes beyond individual leaders, says Anthony Albanese after Donald Trump's conviction over hush money.
A New York jury has found the former president and Republican nominee guilty of falsifying business records as part of a cover-up to hide payments to a porn star, relating to a scheme to bury stories damaging to his 2016 election campaign.
Trump was found guilty of all 34 counts, making it the first time a former US president has been convicted in a criminal case.
While acknowledging the importance of the revelations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it's important he avoid commenting on court cases that don't involve Australians.
"We regard that as a matter for the United States and their system as we regard the election of the US president to be a matter for the people of the United States," he told reporters in Sydney.
"The relationship between Australia and the United States is a relationship between nations, not just between individuals.
"I wish the United States well, it's an important relationship we have."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the verdict could further galvanise the pro-Trump and anti-Trump camps.
"There's obviously two tribes here: the one tribe who detest him and hate him ... and the other tribe who love him and adore him," he said.
"All it will do is reinforce the views of both of those camps.
"But obviously it will make for an even more exciting election in November."
Education Minister Jason Clare agreed with deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley's statement that the "relationship we have with the US is more important and bigger than any one leader or government".
"The US is our closest ally and irrespective of who the president is or who the prime minister is or which party is in office, the ties that bind our two countries together are strong and everlasting," he told Sunrise.
But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young maintains Trump is a risk to democracy across the world.
"We have to start having some hard discussions and deep thought about what this means for our relationship," she told reporters in Canberra.
"He's a bad guy, he's a felon and he doesn't believe in democracy."
Leaving the New York courtroom shortly after the verdict on Thursday (Friday AEST), Trump called the result a disgrace.
"I'm a very innocent man," he said.
"We'll keep fighting, we'll fight till the end and we'll win because our country has gone to hell."
The 77-year-old will be sentenced in July.
At the November election, Trump will face off against Democrat President Joe Biden in what will be a rematch of the 2016 presidential campaign.
While his rival's approval rating has continued to slip, Trump must now contend with this verdict alongside three other indictments over the alleged mishandling of government documents, an alleged plot to subvert the transfer of power after his 2020 election loss and charges for an alleged attempt to overturn election results in Georgia.
With AP
