“Australia has worked closely with President Obama and his Administration over the past four years. I look forward to continuing this friendship,” said Prime Minister Gillard.

“US leadership remains vital to meeting global challenges: international financial stability and global economic growth, peace and security, and the impacts of our changing climate,” she concluded.

Obama and Gillard were both born in the same year, 1961.

Tony Abbot, leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and Leader of the Opposition in the Australia House of Representatives, said in a statement “It was a hard fought contest worthy of one of the world’s greatest democracies,”

“The US-Australia alliance is a bipartisan anchor in the relationship between our two countries. The United States is Australia’s largest and most important ally and Australia can look forward to a continuation of the best possible relations with the United States.”


Main image: Julia Gillard at the 9th summit Asia-Europe (ASEM 9) in Vientiane, 6 Nov 2012
 (Getty images)