> "They just got convinced by what was going on overseas, what the Americans were doing ... It was the wrong decision. I think we’ve always regretted that."

That final line struck a bit of a nerve. It always feels like Australia just sits around waiting to see what America's stance is on <political thing> and then try to follow suit.

Notable examples: immigration, data privacy, climate change, extensive privatisation in recent years.

(Notable counter-examples: gun control, healthcare)

I'm interested to know if this is just my own biased perception based on media and news exposure though.