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West Australian
25-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Australia, UK solidify AUKUS deal as Pentagon review raised at high-level Australia-UK talks in Sydney
Despite fears the Trump administration could abandon AUKUS, Australia and the UK have pressed ahead, preparing to sign a 50-year agreement they hope will cement the submarine pact. Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and their UK counterparts John Healey and David Lammy unveiled the new treaty during the annual AUSMIN meeting in Sydney. The Pentagon's review of the trilateral submarine plan had been raised during the high-level talks on Friday, Mr Marles said. Both defence ministers sought to ease concerns, welcoming the still-ongoing review, with Mr Marles cushioning it as 'the most natural thing in the world' for a new government to reassess such a major deal. 'We've welcomed the review, which is being undertaken by the Trump administration. We spoke today about how both of us — both countries — can contribute to the review,' he said. 'When we came to Government back in 2022, we undertook the Defence Strategic Review. When the UK Government came to power, they, in turn, undertook a review. This is a very, very natural step.' Australia had spearheaded the AUKUS pact in 2021 under then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison, after recognising the country needed to rapidly upgrade its defence capabilities. Labor then agreed to continue it. But Mr Trump's return to the White House in January has sparked new doubts over the pricey pact, as Washington slaps controversial tariffs on multiple countries, including close allies UK and Australia. Australia has also been pressured to increase defence spending in line with the NATO agreement for governments to raise their expenditure to 5 per cent of their country's GDP by 2034. While Australia currently spends about two per cent of its GDP on defence — on track to rise slightly above 2.3 per cent by the end of the decade — Washington has signalled that may not be enough. The UK's increase to 2.5 per cent of GDP by the end of the decade, equivalent to an extra £75 billion, was announced at last month's NATO summit and welcomed by US officials. The Coalition welcomed the UK-Australia treaty but called for defence spending to be increased, urging the Albanese Government to show greater commitment to the US. 'The Albanese Government must urgently demonstrate the same clarity and commitment with the United States,' a joint statement by shadow ministers Michaelia Cash and Angus Taylor said: 'Particularly in light of the Pentagon review, to reassure our partners that Australia can deliver on its contributions and, in turn, secure continued US backing for the agreement. 'Australia must do what we can to ensure AUKUS' longevity and success.' 'At a time of rising global instability, sustained underfunding risks weakening Australia's deterrence and damaging trust in our alliances,' they said. 'The Government must match its rhetoric with investment, and we stand ready to support a bipartisan pathway to deliver the capabilities our nation needs.' Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Euan Graham said it could be contributing to current alliance tensions. The pressure comes ahead of summit season, where the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hopes to land his first meeting with Donald Trump. The Prime Minister has dodged questions on when he'll meet the US President after their planned G7 meeting fell through, with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley attacking the lack of progress during the first sitting of the new Parliament this week. Dr Graham said while the UK could support long-term ambitions, Australia still faced a near-term capability gap it would need the US to fill. He said Australia still had an interim reliance on US-made Virginia-class submarines — set to be acquired in the early 2030s, while waiting for the AUKUS subs to be delivered in the 2040s. 'It doesn't solve the issue of the gap between now and when those submarines start being delivered,' he said. 'That's where the American Virginia class gap-filling really comes into play.' But he reiterated that the AUKUS arrangement was a three-nation pact and can be reinforced by each side, saying if confidence dips in one party, strengthening ties with the others can help balance it out. 'This is a clear commitment from the UK to honour its side of the bargain, and I think hopefully that should steady some of the nervousness around Washington's commitment levels,' he said. Greens Senator David Shoebridge blasted the new treaty, calling it a backward step that enriches foreign arms companies and damages regional ties. 'Australia needs to look to our region, not tie our future to a dying empire a world away. All this will do is line the pockets of foreign arms companies and alienate our neighbours,' Senator Shoebridge said. But Dr Graham said Australia must pay to play, and it was necessary to offshore work because Australia lacks the technology to produce the subs on its own. 'If Australia wants capability, it has to buy it. It can't produce it itself,' he said. 'As part of that, Australia is committed to directly investing in the defence industrial base of both countries. 'That's money that's going to leave Australia and go into other countries, but those other countries are providing a service. It's like anything else.' Mr Marles expressed the importance of Australia's 'oldest relationship' with Britain amid global uncertainty and a 'great power contest' in the region. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy labelled the AUSMIN talks as ' focused and constructive' and the pact a 'landmark treaty' which was necessary in a 'turbulent world'. 'It's clear that the UK-Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady,' he said. 'Whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing . . . I think we're sending a clear signal, a signal of the UK's commitment to this region of the world.' He said the UK was determined to keep the Indo-Pacific 'free and open'. Senator Wong said the relationship was rooted in shared values and interests, but it was important to 'modernise' the partnership to meet current global challenges. 'We all know we face the most challenging, strategic circumstances since World War II. More conflict, more contest, a multilateral system under strain,' Senator Wong said. 'And against that backdrop, the partnership between our nations matters even more. And we are determined to work together to modernise our partnership, to take the world as it is, but to work together to shape it for the better. 'We've had an excellent set of discussions today.' Both parties will travel to Mr Marles' Geelong electorate tomorrow, where the agreement is expected to be officially signed. Mr Marles and Ms Wong will also join their UK counterparts in Darwin on Sunday for the visit of the UK Carrier Strike Group, the first such deployment to Australia since 1997, taking place during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Australia's navy not ready for war? PM Anthony Albanese dismisses audit findings
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has strongly denied claims that Defence Minister Richard Marles was not properly briefed about the readiness of the country's warships.A government audit released last week revealed that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) had failed to maintain two of its most important vessels, HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide. It also stated that Marles did not receive official 'preparedness reports' from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in 2023 and 2024, during the time the Defence Strategic Review was being the audit said Marles was briefed through 'other means,' including informal Tuesday(July 1), Prime Minister Albanese rejected the suggestion that his deputy had been left in the dark.'Well, that's just absurd, that's just absurd,' Albanese told Channel Nine's Today show.'That's just ridiculous, frankly. I haven't seen that report, but we sit in the National Security Committee with the Chief of the Defence Force. We meet regularly.'He added that the government's recent defence funding decisions, including a $57 billion expansion and an additional $1 billion brought forward in the March 2025 budget, were based on direct consultations with Defence officials. Preparedness reports are used to assess how quickly military assets can be deployed during emergencies like war or natural disasters. The lack of formal reporting raised concerns amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific is also under increasing pressure from the United States to raise its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Prime Minister Albanese has resisted those calls, saying Canberra will determine defence needs independently.'Our national security is a matter for Australia, not Washington,' he said earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said US allies in the Asia-Pacific should follow Europe's lead in boosting military budgets. NATO members, except Spain, have recently agreed to increase their defence spending to 5 per cent of New Zealand, and South Korea have also committed to increasing their defence budgets in response to regional audit report and the government's response come as Australia works to reassure allies about its military readiness and reliability, especially under the AUKUS defence pact with the US and UK.
Sky News AU
29-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Coalition says Australia needs ‘immediate action' needed to solve 'desperate situation' in Australian Defence Force
The federal Coalition has reiterated the need for Australia to boost its defence spending, with the shadow defence minister warning the situation was becoming 'desperate' and 'immediate action' is needed. The Albanese government has rejected the Trump administration's calls for Australia to increase it's defence spending, despite NATO agreeing to increase it's target to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Defending the position on Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia's defence spending should be driven by the capabilities we need, not an arbitrary target. "We start with the capability. We don't start with the dollars," Mr Burke told Sky News Australia. But shadow defence minister Angus Taylor said the Albanese government wasn't even meeting the goals set out in its own Defence Strategic Review. 'It should be based on need, but his own defence strategic review has laid out where the money needs to be spent, and it's not being spent. I mean, this is the point, this government's not even meeting its own goals,' Mr Taylor told Sunday Agenda. 'Forget the pressure being put on by the United States, this is about what's appropriate for us. 'We are seeing authoritarian regimes across the globe flexing their muscles, and open democratic societies like ours need to stand up for what we believe in. 'And if we are to have control of our own destiny, if we're to play the role we need to play in ensuring we have peace through deterrence in our region, the spending is too low. And the government's own plan demonstrates that." Mr Taylor said defence experts were warning that Australia risked having a 'paper ADF'. 'This is a desperate situation now, and it needs immediate action,' the shadow minister added. The shadow defence minister said there were 'a whole series of areas' in defence that are currently underfunded. 'Our naval surface fleet is not where it needs to be,' he said. 'Right now we're even seeing ships that are not getting the appropriate level of maintenance and sustainment, so they're not in operation as they should be. 'We know we need to increase spending on recruitment and making sure we're getting the people we need into our defence force. We are thousands and thousands of people short of where we should be. "But we also know we need hardening of our northern facilities in places like Tyndall, in Darwin, in Townsville. 'We need to make sure that the Henderson sub facility is getting the investment it needs to be able to build the subs, and also play our role in maintenance and sustainment. 'We need to invest in that drone and counter-drone technology, which we know is playing such an important role in conflicts across the globe. 'All of these things desperately need investment. The underinvestment is really showing.' Mr Taylor said keeping Australians safe and making sure we have peace in the region was the 'first and most important imperative' for government and an inability to do this is a major failure. 'If a government is not in a position to make the investments necessary to achieve peace through deterrence in the region it is in, then it has failed its people,' he said.
The Advertiser
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
'It's urgent': Angus Taylor says govt needs to fix Defence recruitment
Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending. Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes." "This is absolutely urgent," he said. "We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government." The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave. Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north. Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands. "What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending." NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP. Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade. Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised. "Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said. "All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles." "And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said. Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF." But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe." Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is." As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US. Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government." "Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said. "I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver." Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending. Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes." "This is absolutely urgent," he said. "We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government." The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave. Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north. Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands. "What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending." NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP. Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade. Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised. "Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said. "All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles." "And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said. Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF." But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe." Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is." As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US. Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government." "Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said. "I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver." Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending. Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes." "This is absolutely urgent," he said. "We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government." The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave. Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north. Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands. "What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending." NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP. Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade. Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised. "Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said. "All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles." "And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said. Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF." But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe." Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is." As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US. Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government." "Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said. "I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver." Opposition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor has blamed the Albanese government for the recruitment crisis facing Australia's armed forces, while calling out its refusal to commit to higher Defence spending. Mr Taylor said it was "clear that the government's recruitment program and retention programs are not working at the level they need to, to get the right outcomes." "This is absolutely urgent," he said. "We're thousands short of the government's own goals ... it's one of the issues that is clearly being underfunded by the government." The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan aims to grow the ADF to 69,000 by the early 2030s, but is not on track to achieve this as the number of new recruits is not keeping up with people who leave. Mr Taylor said the solution must include funding better housing and other facilities to support ADF personnel posted in locations in Australia's north. Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday ruled out following in European nations' footsteps after NATO members vowed to dramatically lift expenditure following pressure from United States President Donald Trump. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build ... and then to resource that," Mr Marles said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands. "What that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending." NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to 5 per cent of GDP. Under current settings, Australia is expected to increase its share of GDP defence spend from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033-34, while the Coalition wants it increased to 3 per cent in a decade. Mr Taylor blasted the Albanese government, saying it had failed "fund its own plan" and that Australia's defence capabilities - from missile manufacturing to drone and counter-drone technologies - were compromised. "Its Defence Strategic Review is not properly funded ... and that means crucial programs that are central to our sovereignty are not being funded by this government," he said. "All of these are areas that have to be properly funded alongside AUKUS, the submarines and the frigates." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told the National Press Club on Wednesday it was "time for Australia to step up, not step back", and that "the first step must be an increase in defence spending with a focus on key capabilities, including space, drones and missiles." "And we need a proper strategy to arrest declining recruitment numbers in the ADF," Ms Ley said. Mr Taylor said when asked if a 3 per cent of GDP target was hollow if Defence misspent funding: "There's a real issue about making sure our procurement processes, our command structure, is efficient and effective in the ADF." But, he said, the Coalition wanted both higher spending and to ensure that "every dollar ... is being spent as well as possible to keep Australians safe." Asked about fellow Coalition frontbencher and former soldier Andrew Hastie's comments call for "greater transparency" about the US military's growing presence in Australia, in the context of whether the secretive Pine Gap base was used to launch strikes against Iran, Mr Taylor said the government needed to be "very clear about what our involvement is." As to whether it undermined Australia's sovereignty if the US was not informing the government of what jointly operated military facilities were being used for, he said while sovereignty was "consistent with strong alliances" but that "transparency between the alliance partners" was important. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to answer questions about Pine Gap on the grounds that military intelligence is classified, saying only that the bombing was "a unilateral action" by the US. Mr Albanese has said his government will fund Defence based on what is needed, rather than by setting an arbitrary GDP percentage. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC radio on Thursday: "We make these decisions based on advice to government." "Defence and others come to us. They say what capability they need, what the funding will be, and we provide that funding," Senator Gallagher said. "I have no doubt we'll have more representations over future budget cycles about what Defence needs, but we also need to make sure we've got the capability to deliver."
West Australian
13-06-2025
- 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.'
