Former prime minister John Howard says Donald Trump's election and Britain's decision to quit the European Union demonstrate a global push for greater "national sovereignty" that's also impacting Australian politics.
"I was delighted with the result of the Brexit referendum," he told the Committee for Economic Development of Australia forum in Sydney on Friday.
"The British people made the right decision. I saw that decision as being very much a cry for national sovereignty and control of their own affairs."
Mr Howard told the audience Mr Trump articulated the resentment many Americans felt towards an "avalanche of political correctness" which was also seen in Australia.
"Our own country ... at the present time is going through a very challenging stage politically," the former Liberal leader said.
"The result of the election last year was closer than many people expected but the government was returned and I hope the government continues for the full term."
Mr Howard blamed the Senate for making things tough fro both Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull's governments.
"The problem that Abbott and Turnbull have is that the major crossbench party in the Senate when I was prime minister were the Australian Democrats and the major crossbench party in the Senate now is the Australian Greens," he said.
"There's this fragmentation on the flanks."
Mr Howard said when he was first involved in politics 20 per cent of voters in the middle "moved around" but now 40 per cent of the population could be considered swinging voters.
He said the Liberal Party was increasingly "a bit of a closed shop" in terms of candidates.
That comment comes less than a month after renegade Liberal senator Cory Bernardi quit the coalition to form his own ultra-conservative party and just days after outspoken Nationals backbencher George Christensen quit as the party's chief whip.
