Scott Morrison says he has ‘great confidence’ in US democracy as Trump refuses to concede

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken out about the US election after Australians woke up to Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump on Sunday morning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed “great confidence” in American democracy when asked what Australia would do if President Donald Trump refused to leave the office after his election defeat.

Mr Morrison congratulated Joe Biden on being elected the 46th President of the United States on Sunday morning and said he had “been a great friend of Australia over many years”.

Australia woke to the news on Sunday morning with Mr Biden declared the winner about 3.30am Sunday AEDT when Pennsylvania and its 20 Electoral College votes fell to the Democratic candidate, taking him past the 270 needed for victory.

But President Donald Trump is still yet to concede defeat, and continues to falsely claim he actually won with the election.

Despite some senior Republicans encouraging him to concede, President Trump has instead launched several legal challenges to the election result.

“I have great confidence in the American democracy and I have been expressing those consistently,” Mr Morrison said when asked what Australia would do in the event Mr Trump refused to leave.

“This is not a new process, it is time honoured and time established process and I have confidence it will resolve itself in time.”

President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Scott Morrison shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office September 20, 2019. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

Mr Morrison said he would continue to “work closely” with President Trump and his administration during the transition period between now and January 20.

He thanked Mr Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“Australia has enjoyed a strong working relationship with the current administration, one that has seen the strength of our alliance continue to grow and deepen,” he said.

The Prime Minister said he looked forward to strengthening the Australia’s relationship with the United States when Mr Biden takes office.

“The President-elect has been a great friend of Australia over many years, including when he visited Australia in 2016,” he said.

“I have every confidence because it is based on more than 100 years of successful partnership, that this partnership will only go from strength to strength under the new shared stewardship that President-elect Biden and I will share going into the future.

Vice President Joe Biden arrives at Sydney Airport with his granddaughters on July 18, 2016. Picture: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

“Our partnership goes back more than a century. Next year, our countries will celebrate 70 years since the signing of the ANZUS Treaty – the foundation of our security alliance.

“We also look forward to working with President-elect Biden and his administration to continue to fight the COVID-19 global pandemic and recession, to develop a vaccine, drive a global economic recovery, and develop new technologies to reduce global emissions as we practically confront the challenge of climate change.

“We welcome the President-elect’s commitment to multilateral institutions and strengthening democracies.”

Mr Morrison also congratulated Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

The Prime Minister said he hoped President-elect Biden and his wife, Dr Jill Biden, would visit Australia next year to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison congratulates Joe Biden at Kirribilli House in Sydney on Sunday. Picture: ABC via NCA NewsWire

Scott Morrison reacts to Joe Biden's US Election win on Twitter.

“ANZUS has been the bedrock of our security foundations in Australia since that alliance was first established and I look forward to inviting the President-elect to join us next year in their formal capacities,” Mr Morrison said.

Australian Ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos acknowledged the possibility of challenges in the courts when he spoke to ABC Insiders on Sunday morning, but said diplomats in Washington were proceeding on the basis that Joe Biden was the President-elect.

“We’re taking the position that the election has been called,” he told host David Speers.

“The President has the right to contest this in the courts, but we, the UK, New Zealand, Canada, India, France, Germany and others have taken a view based on the information that’s been provided by the networks and others who have called it that this is the case.

“Until the 20th of January, Donald Trump remains the President of the United States. My job here at the embassy, our people at the embassy, will continue to deal professionally with our colleagues in the state department, the White House.

“(After) the inauguration, there’s a new President, we will then move to work closely with the new administration.”