Former foreign minister downplays Pentagon's review of AUKUS
Former foreign minister Alexander Downer claims Australia shouldn't be 'concerned' about the Pentagon ordering a review of the AUKUS deal.
'I don't think there's any reason to be particularly concerned, no. I think the Americans will stick with the AUKUS agreement under President Trump,' Mr Downer told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
'I think it'll go ahead pretty much as it's been designed.'
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The Advertiser
23 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Crossbenchers pressure Labor to launch 'urgent' AUKUS inquiry
ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent. ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent. ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent. ACT senator David Pocock and an alliance of parliamentary crossbenchers are calling on the Albanese government to urgently establish a formal inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal. It comes after revelations the Trump administration will review the terms of the trilateral pact to ensure it meets "American First criteria", which has sparked doubts about the future of the landmark deal. Eight crossbench MPs wrote to Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday, raising concerns about the $368 billion deal that could see Australia buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-attack submarines from the US by the 2030s. The MPs said there has been insufficient parliamentary oversight of the pact and said Australians wanted to know more about its strategic and financial implications. "With the UK and now the US reviewing AUKUS, Australia is now the only country not actively considering whether the agreement in its current form best serves our national interest," Senator Pocok said in a statement. "Given the scale and cost of this deal, a transparent review is not just sensible; it's overdue." Australia is investing billions of dollars to support the US's submarine production base under AUKUS, which is estimated to be 20 years behind schedule. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there needed to be an open discussion about the "very clear risk" that the US will not be able to guarantee the transfer of the boats without diminishing its naval capabilities. "AUKUS is the centrepiece of our defence and foreign policy strategy, but it's been adopted by the major parties with very poor public engagement," Ms Spender said. "AUKUS will shape Australia's future for decades with enormous implications both financially, economically, and strategically, but in discussions at the community level, there are consistent questions and concerns that have not been addressed." Defence Minister Richard Marles has said he remains confident the deal will go ahead and that the US review was a "perfectly natural" thing for a new administration to do. "We've always known that increasing the production and sustainment rate in the United States is a challenge, but we're confident that we can meet that challenge," Mr Marles said on Friday. The Canberra Times has contacted a spokesperson for comment. A parliamentary inquiry into the ratification of the AUKUS treaty last year heard that a provision allowing the US and the UK to withdraw with a year's notice could have "significant implications" for Australia. The inquiry heard there were no specified terms in the treaty or in agreement documents to suggest Australia would have full ownership of the second-hand US-built boats, which are due to be sold and delivered by 2032. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was concerned about the future of AUKUS and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with Donald Trump to secure its terms. "We'll continue to make the case for AUKUS, and we must. It is a good arrangement and the right arrangement to ensure we get peace in our region through deterrence," Mr Taylor said on Friday. Mr Albanese is expected to hold his first in-person meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada next week, which has yet to be confirmed. The potential meeting comes after Labor rebuffed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth's call for Australia to increase its military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP from the current level of just over 2 per cent.
News.com.au
25 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Anthony Albanese 'confident' AUKUS will prevail despite US review into defence pact
Anthony Albanese has rejected comments that the Pentagon's review into the AUKUS defence deal threatens the future of the pact, with Australia yet to confirm a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump. Speaking from Nadi, Fiji on Friday afternoon, the Prime Minister said the new Trump administration was entitled to review existing policies, noting the United Kingdom had undertaken a similar process following the election of Labour's Keir Starmer in July 2024. While the US evaluation will assess whether the multi-billion dollar pact remains 'aligned with the President's America First agenda,' Mr Albanese backed its future. 'We are very confident, though, that AUKUS is in the interest of all three of our nations, and that it will play an important role in peace, security and stability around the world, at a time when that is absolutely necessary,' he said. Mr Albanese also sidestepped a question asking whether Labor would bring forward its current plans to lift defence spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP by 2033-34 as a 'sign of good faith' to the US. While current investment is at 2 per cent of GDP, US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth has called on Australia to boost the figure to 3.5 per cent. Earlier, Coalition defence spokesman Angus Taylor warned Australia had a 'very high price to pay if AUKUS fails,' putting increased pressure on Mr Albanese to meet with Mr Trump. 'What discussions has Richard Marles already had? To what extent is our lack of defence spending a driver of this review? When will the Prime Minister meet with the President to actually discuss this face-to-face?' he said. 'These are questions we need answers to, and they're questions that go to the heart of making sure that AUKUS is a success and that we ensure that we have peace through deterrence in our region.' Mr Albanese met with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. Mr Rabuka said it was a 'great honour to receive the Prime Minister of Australia,' and congratulated Labor on its win. Mr Albanese said Fiji was a 'great friend of Australia,' spruiking the alliance amid growing global fragility. 'We in Australia understand that in today's uncertain world what we need is partners and friends that we can rely on, who are trusted and you, my friend, are a trusted partner and friend of Australia,' he said. 'So this is a relationship about defence and security, about our economy, but most, most importantly, about our people.' The Labor leader also commented on recent developments that Israel had launched strikes on Iran, allegedly killing key military leaders and nuclear scientists. Mr Albanese said it was a 'concerning' escalation in the region and urged Australians not to travel to the area. He said he wanted to see the issue resolved through 'dialogue', commending the US for its 'important role' in peace talks. Mr Albanese was welcomed to the island country on Friday afternoon with Fijian honour guard upon arrival, members of the local greeting party included Fijian Deputy Primeminister Biman Prasad, the Republic of Fiji's Deputy Commander of the Military Forces Commodore Humphrey Tawake and Fiji Police Force Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu. Australia's welcome delegation included our High Commissioner to Fiji and Australia's defence adviser to Fiji Colonel Henry Stimson. Mr Albanese will fly to Seattle on the United States West Coast on Saturday morning, where he is expected to meet with business leaders with a focus on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
West Australian
26 minutes ago
- West Australian
Albanese says ‘very confident' AUKUS pact serves all three nations after Pentagon review
Anthony Albanese has thrown his weight behind AUKUS after the Pentagon announced a review, saying he's 'very confident' the pact serves all three nations in a increasingly tense global climate. It is the first time the Prime Minister has addressed the issue since news broke that the Trump Administration was examining whether the pact aligns with US interests under their 'America First' agenda. 'It will play an important role in peace, security and stability around the world at a time when that is absolutely necessary,' the PM said on Friday after landing in Fiji enroute to the G7 summit in Canada. He echoed remarks by his Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday that the US launching a review was a 'natural' step for an incoming government. 'The United States as an incoming government is having a review just like the Australian government did with our Defence Strategic Review, and just like the government of Keir Starmer in the United Kingdom had as well,' Mr Albanese said. 'We're very confident though that all, because he's in the interests of all three of our nations.' Mr Albanese declined to say whether he would accelerate Australia's defence spending commitments in response to US calls for allies to lift their budgets. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had conveyed to Mr Marles at a recent Singapore forum that Australia should hike its defence budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP, far beyond the projected 2.3 per cent by 2033. The review, driven by AUKUS-sceptic Elbridge Colby, has stoked fear America might abandon the 2021-formed tripartite deal with the UK and the US. Under the deal Australia plans to build five SSN-AUKUS submarines and buy between three and five Virginia Class nuclear-powered subs from the US. A collapse of the pact could be a major blow for Western Australia, which has been earmarked as the future home of AUKUS nuclear powered submarines in Henderson. Opposition leader Sussan Ley urged the PM not to be a 'bystander' in the Australia-US relationship and do everything possible to secure a G7-sideline meeting with Donald Trump. 'We support AUKUS, we (the Coalition) put it in place but we are concerned about this review by the Pentagon,' she said on Friday. 'It adds to a growing list of issues within the US-Australia relationship. It's important that Anthony Albanese not be a bystander in this relationship.' 'We do have a good case to make about the mutual benefits.' Ten crossbenchers —including teal Allegra Spender, Senators Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock— on Friday penned an open letter to Defence Minister Marles calling for a Parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS. 'People across our communities are increasingly concerned about the AUKUS agreement,' they stated. 'Despite these concerns, there has been limited opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny of AUKUS to date. Indeed, both of Australia's AUKUS partners are conducting similar inquiries. 'We therefore think it is important and timely for parliament to conduct a full and formal inquiry.' WA teal MP Kate Chaney — whose Curtin electorate is north of the Henderson facility — was among a group of 10 crossbenchers. 'Australians want to understand whether this is the best use of our resources and the right path for our security,' Ms Chaney said. 'AUKUS is a monumental strategic commitment with far-reaching implications for our economy, sovereignty, and security posture. Yet, it continues to unfold with minimal public transparency and virtually no parliamentary accountability.' The MPs and Senators suggested the inquiry could be hosted through a Joint Select Committee and examine the feasibility, timeline, progress, strategic rationale, and opportunity costs among other elements. Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive Peter Cock said the deal was a massive boon for WA industry and expected that the Federal Government would 'engage proactively' to ensure the pact was secure. 'We expect the state and federal governments will continue to engage proactively with the Trump administration throughout the review process to ensure WA and Australia's best interests are represented,' he said. 'CCIWA remains confident that defence industry including the AUKUS elements will deliver significant economic benefits to the Western Australian economy, regardless of the review to be conducted by the Trump administration.'
