The prime minister’s comments are the strongest backing so far of the US administration and comes ahead of visit by vice president on Friday

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Malcolm Turnbull has said he trusts the “wisdom and judgment” of the United States government, including president Donald Trump and vice president Mike Pence.

The comments on ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday are the strongest endorsement Turnbull has given of the US leadership, and comes ahead of what the prime minister called the earliest visit to Australia of a newly elected vice president.

Pence will visit Australia from Friday evening to Monday morning to shore up the US-Australia alliance after a rocky start with the Trump administration when Trump fiercely criticised the countries’ refugee resettlement deal.

The relationship has since settled with Turnbull offering support for the US’s response in Syria and Australia and the US singing from the same song-sheet on regional tensions with North Korea.

The 7.30 host Leigh Sales asked Turnbull how Australia could put any faith in the US administration after it had said the USS Carl Vinson was on its way to North Korea but was instead thousands of miles away and heading in the wrong direction.

Turnbull said he looked forward to meeting Pence, noting it was a “very early visit”, perhaps the earliest by a new vice president to Australia.

“Many people were skeptical of the Trump administration’s commitment to the region but as you can see ... the commitment is very real,” he said.

“Of course the focus this week is on North Korea and I’d say ... that the eyes of the world are now on Beijing, they have the leverage and influence to stop this reckless and dangerous conduct of the North Korean regime.”

Asked if he trusted Trump and Pence’s judgment, Turnbull replied: “I do. I trust the judgment, the wisdom of the American government, the president and the vice president.”

The eyes of the world are on Beijing to stop this reckless and dangerous conduct of the North Korean regime Malcolm Turnbull

Turnbull explained that despite changes of government the “central national interests of the United States remain the same” and the alliance was “vital” and would survive many prime ministers and presidents.

Turnbull also defended the government’s decision to raise the bar for citizenship by introducing an English language test and requiring four years’ residency, up from the current one year.

When Sales asked about migrants, like entrepreneur Frank Lowy, who may have been working hard and struggling to attend language classes, Turnbull replied: “Well it’s in their interests to do so. They can wait a little longer before making their application to be an Australian citizen.”

Asked about a requirement to show integration in the Australian community, Turnbull suggested it could be fulfilled by enrolling children in school, joining the parent and community association or a clubs like a surf or service club.

Turnbull said modern Australian values included freedom, equal rights of men and women, democracy, the rule of law and a “fair go”.

abc730 (@abc730) Prime Minister @TurnbullMalcolm lists what he thinks are our “uniquely Australian” values. #auspol #abc730 #citizenship pic.twitter.com/ZroWOvAQ9F

Sales challenged Turnbull to name one of his government’s policies that fit his parties liberal not conservative tradition. He responded that his values are “the same that they’ve always been ... giving people greater freedom and opportunities to develop and grow”.

When pushed, Turnbull nominated his announcement on Thursday to have a scoping study to increase hydroelectric capacity in Tasmania.

Turnbull said Scott Morrison would remain treasurer after the budget, and it was “totally unfair” to suggest that he and former prime minister Tony Abbott were at open war.

Abbott has been increasingly strident in his criticism of the government’s performance and has offered alternative policies such as reducing immigration to combat housing affordability, abolishing the renewable energy target and the Australian Human Rights Commission.

On Thursday a poll leaked showing Abbott was ostensibly struggling to hold his seat before Turnbull and Liberal head office intervened to help him before the last election. Abbott criticised the leak for distracting from the citizenship announcement.