John Howard reckons there are two issues that helped Donald Trump win over American voters, and theyre ones the former prime minister closely identifies with himself,

Political correctness and identity politics were key to Trumps success, Howard told a corporate crowd at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch in Sydney yesterday, Fairfax Newsreported.

Americans, like Australians, are resentful of the avalanche of political correctness, Howard said.

I think political correctness has become a problem in Western societies, weve become far too apologetic about our Western identity and anything thats a sense of some kind of defence of cultural traditionalism or national identity is in many ways frowned upon, Fairfaxreported him as saying.

Meanwhile, the Democrats suffered from an excess of identity politics, he said, apparently a reference to the fact that Hillary Clinton, Trumps presidential election rival, came with a loaded history in politics that was offputting to many voters.

There is nothing new about people who are economically insecure or dispossessed trying to reach out to some sort of new champion, he said.

The Australian reported from the same event that Howard noted Australia was going through a very challenging stage politically, in which a fragmented Senate was making it difficult for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to push through legislation, as it did for predecessor Tony Abbott.

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Why John Howard thinks Australians are sick of political correctness ... - Starts at 60