Dastyari slams Trump, Cruz 'xenophobia'

Labor frontbencher Sam Dastyari has lashed out at the "right-wing extremist ideology" being played out in the US presidential race and warned against Australia following its ally down a path of xenophobia.

In an impassioned speech to the Senate on Tuesday night, the Iranian-born senator said the anti-immigration stance among some of the US presidential candidates left him fearful of the future.

He said the American ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were under assault from a right-wing extremist ideology and he took a swipe at former prime minister Tony Abbott and dumped defence minister Kevin Andrews for going abroad to endorse such views.

While the friendship between Australia and the US should survive any leader, Senator Dastyari said Australia needed to stay true to its own values of tolerance, multiculturalism, inclusion and love.

"If America chooses a path of xenophobia and plutocracy, we should not, indeed we must not, follow them," he said.