Latest news with #AUKUS-sceptic
West Australian
12 hours ago
- Business
- 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.'
West Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
AUKUS review: Pentagon's Elbridge Colby orders inquiry to ensure defence agreement aligns with ‘America First'
The Trump Administration's biggest AUKUS sceptic has ordered a review into whether the US should pull out of the submarine deal with Australia, just days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused America's request to lift defence spending. The inquiry was directed by AUKUS-sceptic Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Policy, the Financial Times reported . A US Defence official said the review was 'part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous Administration is aligned with the President's America First agenda.' 'As Secretary Hegseth has made clear, this means ensuring the highest readiness of our servicemembers, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defence, and that the defence industrial base is meeting our needs,' the official said in a statement. 'This review will ensure the initiative meets these common-sense, America First criteria.' Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Beijing would be cheering at the news. 'News that the Trump Administration is considering backing away from AUKUS will be met with cheers in Beijing, which is already celebrating America's global pullback and our strained ties with allies under President Trump,' Senator Shaheen said. 'Scrapping this partnership would further tarnish America's reputation and raise more questions among our closest defence partners and our reliability.' Mr Colby is one of the America First movement's fiercest critics of what he views as shirker allies. He was also the first in US President Donald Trump's orbit to voice concerns about AUKUS. When asked by The Nightly, at a speaking engagement in London, he said he would have been quite sceptical about the deal if it were put to him to sign off on. 'My concern is why are we giving away this crown jewel asset when we most need it?' he said 12 months ago. 'AUKUS is only going to lead to more submarines collectively in 10, 15, 20 years, which is way beyond the window of maximum danger, which is really in this decade. 'So the benefits are questionable and the viability is also questionable.' However, Mr Colby retreated from some of his criticisms and directed most of his ire toward European NATO allies, who have subsequently begun to pledge massive defence spending increases prompting his praise. By contrast, in the last few days he has been issuing statements on X about the need for Indo-Pacific allies to heed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's call for more defence funding. Mr Hegseth asked Defence Minister Richard Marles to raise defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP at a meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore. Currently, Labor plans to spend 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence by the middle of the next decade. Mr Marles responded by saying he was 'totally up for a conversation' but refused to confirm the figure Mr Hegseth requested. The Defence Secretary released the figure in a statement three days later. Since then, Labor has become more strident in its opposition and said the decision is for Australia, not the US to make. Mr Albanese told the Press Club this week he had not been provided with any capabilities that need funding and was not going to commit to a blind yardstick method of government spending. Australia has already paid the first US$500 million ($760 million) to buy up to three nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, under a deal first struck with the Biden Administration by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Mr Marles paid the cheque in Feburary when he first met Mr Hegseth after President Trump's inauguration. At the time, Mr Hegseth said Mr Trump was aware and supportive of AUKUS and this was recently further backed by comments the President's personally appointed Ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, made at an event in London, alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It is unclear if Mr Colby's review is the act of a lone operator or represents a change in the stance of the Administration, which is often ideologically split on key policy areas. AUKUS is the most expensive and ambitious defence acquisition project in Australia's history and aims to buy and then build nuclear-powered submarines at a cost of $368 billion. But because Australia cannot build nuclear-propelled submarines and faces an urgent capability gap with the Collins Class boats reaching their end of life, it is reliant on purchasing off-the-shelf Virginia-class boats from the Americans and then co-building an SSN AUKUS version of submarine with the British. The UK government put on a brave face. A government spokesperson said the review was 'understandable.' 'It is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership, just as the UK did last year,' the spokesperson said. 'The UK will continue to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which AUKUS presents for our three nations.'
