‘Playing with fire': Democrats in ‘dangerous territory' by defending LA protests
Sky News host Rita Panahi says the Democratic Party is in 'dangerous territory' as they continue to back the protests which are raging across Los Angeles.
A battalion of roughly 700 US Marines has been deployed to Los Angeles as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement riots continue.
According to Fox News, citing a senior defence official, the Marines will be tasked with protecting federal personnel and property.
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Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Former prime minister Scott Morrison dismisses AUKUS concerns amid Trump administration review
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has dismissed concerns about the future of the AUKUS defence pact, after the Trump administration launched a review to ensure the agreement aligned with the 'America First' agenda. The trilateral partnership between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia was established to counter the growing power of China and threats in the Indo-Pacific. Mr Morrison—who was the architect of AUKUS in 2021—said the review was entirely within the remit of the new US government and should not be cause for alarm. 'No, I'm not,' Mr Morrison responded when asked by Sky News if he was concerned about the Pentagon review. 'It's totally within their remit… Incoming governments do reviews. Keir Starmer did a review and that resulted in the UK government being even more committed to AUKUS. 'Like with any arrangement, you've always got to keep making the case.' Defence Minister Richard Marles has also played down concerns, confirming that Australia was aware of the review in advance and would fully engage in the process. 'We've known about the review for some time, we welcome it and we will engage with it,' Mr Marles told Sky News on Thursday. 'I do have a sense of confidence about the way in which AUKUS is playing out under the Trump administration and that we will meet the pathway that we have committed to.' The review, led by US Under-Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby, will assess whether the AUKUS submarine project fits the administration's defence priorities. Mr Colby has previously criticised the AUKUS deal and suggested that Pillar 1 of the agreement, the nuclear submarines, could be 'problematic'. Mr Marles however argued that AUKUS remains in the strategic interests of all three partner nations. 'I think whenever we see a new government, a review of this kind is going to be something which will be undertaken,' he said. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley voiced concern that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was adopting a 'bystander approach' when stronger advocacy may be required. 'I feel there's something of a bystander approach from Anthony Albanese,' Ms Ley told Sky News. 'This is a Team Australia moment, and I've always said we'll support the government on Team Australia moments.' Mr Albanese has been scheduled to attend the G7 summit in Canada, where he will likely meet President Donald Trump for the first time. The White House has also asked Australia to consider increasing its defence spending from 2 per cent to 3.5 per cent of GDP. The Albanese government has so far declined to commit to the target—though it has promised to raise spending to 2.3 per cent. AUKUS is Australia's largest-ever defence undertaking, aimed at acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and increasing interoperability with US and British forces. Under AUKUS, Australia was scheduled to make a $2 billion payment in 2025 to the US to help boost its submarine shipyards and speed up submarine production. The first $500 million payment was made when Mr Marles met with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in February.
West Australian
3 hours ago
- West Australian
Coalition probes Israel sanctions amid AUKUS review
The Coalition is questioning if the Albanese government sanctioning two senior Israeli ministers prompted the Trump administration's AUKUS review. Australia on Wednesday joined Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK in slapping travel bans and financial blocks on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich 'for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank'. The move has been criticised by the opposition and condemned by Israel and the US. It is also the latest sign of a White House increasingly at odds with Canberra on major foreign policy positions. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said on Thursday the AUKUS review 'came out of the blue and there are very serious questions the government and Defence Minister need to answer'. 'Was the government position on sanctioning two Israeli ministers a contributor to triggering the timing or existence of this review in the first place?' Mr Taylor asked while fronting reporters in Canberra. 'The truth is many things could have triggered this review, I have outlined some, and … there are different views within the United States, the administration, and these things can happen through triggers that happen on the day. 'I do not know the answers, but we deserve answers.' He added that the opposition 'would strongly welcome a briefing' on private AUKUS talks so Labor and the Coalition could 'work on a bipartisan basis'. Sussan Ley has also slammed the sanctions as 'counter-productive'. 'It's unprecedented to as a government take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government, and it appears that Penny Wong acted unilaterally on this,' the Opposition Leader told Sky News. 'We want an enduring peace for the people of the region, we all want that more than ever, and the US has explained that these actions are actually counter-productive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that.' Indeed, the Trump administration was scathing in its response to Wednesday's sanctions, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying they 'do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home and end the war'. 'We reject any notion of equivalence,' Mr Rubio said. 'Hamas is a terrorist organisation that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. 'We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. 'The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder to shoulder with Israel.' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has defended sanctions, saying the Albanese government 'worked very carefully in relation to taking this step over a period of time … in co-ordination with other like minded countries'. 'At the end of the day, we stand for the maintenance of humanitarian law,' Mr Marles said, also speaking to Sky. 'We want to see a ceasefire, we want to see humanitarian assistance flow to Gaza, we obviously want to see a return of the hostages to Israel, and all of us want to work towards a place of peace and that's the focus of the way in which we're exercising our international voice.' He also said he knew about the AUKUS review 'for some time'. The sanctions came after the Israeli government announced last month that it would build nearly two dozen new settlements in the West Bank along a key highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It also said it would legalise some settlements built in the Palestinian territory without the green light from the government. Both Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich are also known for their hard-line stances on Gaza, with Mr Ben-Gvir publicly backing forced migration of Palestinians from the war-torn strip. In a statement, the foreign ministers of the Western sanctioning countries said the penalties 'do not deviate from our unwavering support for Israel's security and we continue to condemn the horrific terror attacks of 7 October by Hamas'.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Senior federal politicians questions US presence in Australia after Pentagon launches formal review into AUKUS partnership
The Albanese government has been urged to reconsider the joint US secretive military base Pine Gap and the presence of US troops in Australia as the Trump administration questions the AUKUS pact. Greens senator and defence spokesman David Shoebridge has called on the Albanese government to 'put a stop' to de facto US territories in Australia amid the AUKUS review. The US announced a formal review of the $300 billion AUKUS arrangement after the Albanese government resisted demands to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Mr Shoebridge told Sky News that Australia should stop 'bankrolling' US defence facilities in Darwin, and the secretive Pine Gap facility. 'Australia has for too long allowed Pine Gap and Defence facilities in Darwin to operate as de facto US territories, it's time we put a stop to that,' he said. 'Labor and the Coalition say having US troops stationed here makes us safer. The Greens say it is a major national security risk. 'Donald Trump is erratic, reckless and careless of America's allies and alliances but he does have one fairly constant trait, he puts US interests first. 'If only Australian decision makers did the same for us.' Mr Shoebridge said the US decision to review AUKUS should be met with Australia's own review. 'It's time for Parliament to launch a full inquiry into this dud deal, and allow critics of AUKUS a seat at the table, not just a nodding bunch of Labor and Coalition members.' Several other federal politicians outside of the major parties have also called into question whether the AUKUS deal served the national interest. Independent Senator David Pocock told Sky News he did not have full confidence in the US administration in relation to the AUKUS agreement. 'I think we should take this as an opportunity to actually do a review ourselves. It's long overdue,' he said on Thursday. Teal MP Monique Ryan also said it was 'not surprising' the Trump administration was considering an end to AUKUS, and suggested Mr Albanese should 'do the same'. 'Nations act in their own best interests. Spending $400 billion on subs which may never arrive might well not be in our best interest,' she said on X. Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie recently called into question the Pine Gap facility and said it should be closed in response to Trump's controversial tariffs. 'We don't owe the United States anything. It's time these leaders stood up … It's about time you started hitting them back where it hurts,' Ms Lambie told the ABC. 'I can tell you, if they do not have access to Pine Gap and the communications there, then they are not gathering any intelligence over this side of the world. 'Tell them they've got seven days to remove their US Marines off Australian soil. That will really hurt .' Ms Lambie said Australia had shown the US 'loyalty and our mateship' in various wars, and it was time to show them 'we mean business'. 'We can no longer trust our US allies … with everything that we've given to them over the years, the loyalty, the mateship, the sacrifice … we don't owe the United States anything,' she said. Mr Shoebridge echoed Ms Lambie's sentiment, saying that despite 'all the mateship talk', Australia was not an equal partner but a 'useful patsy for US power projection'.
