This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A junior Coalition minister believes Australians should respect the political process of the United States and not become alarmist over their views of the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump.

The Liberal senator Zed Seselja was responding to comments by the deputy opposition leader, Tanya Plibersek, who is concerned about the security issues Trump’s candidacy has raised.

“I don’t think it particularly helpful to suggest there is a security risk,” Seselja told Sky News on Sunday.

He conceded the US Republican party does face a great challenge “[but] we shouldn’t be alarmist about these things”.

Plibersek says Australian politicians would normally keep out of another country’s election process but she believes Trump “has pushed out the boat so far” that he raises concerns for Australia.

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“We are really in extraordinary times ... he has broken so many conventions for us to say as Australians that we are deeply concerned about the security issues his candidacy has raised,” she told Sky News.

Plibersek said Trump’s cosying up to Russia “really bothers me too”.

She said Trump had continually proved how unsuitable he was to be president, although it was increasingly unlikely he would win with many senior Republicans distancing themselves from him.

The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, has previously declared Trump as “barking mad” and on a later occasion as “entirely unsuitable” to be president.

Asked if this would be an issue if Trump won and Shorten became prime minister in the future, Plibersek said the relationship was “country to country” not about personalities.

“Our relationships between the United States and Australia are deep and strong and go well beyond any two people,” she said.