Australia's place questioned after NATO ‘family photo'
Australia's position in the global pecking order has been questioned after the traditional NATO 'family photo' was released this week — showing our representative so far back he's practically falling off the edge of the picture.
It shows Australian representative, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, standing in the back right of three rows of world leaders – far away from US President Donald Trump.
Mr Marles's positioning was seized on by news site The Nightl y, which wrote in an editorial that he was the 'second cousin everyone forgot was coming'.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to send his deputy instead of attending himself has come in for more wide criticism, considering the state of global security and pressure to finally meet with Mr Trump to discuss tariffs.
Australia is not a member of NATO, which stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, but the Prime Minister previously attended summits in 2022 and 2023.
While many of his counterparts were meeting in The Hague, Mr Albanese was this week campaigning in Tasmania as the Apple Isle heads toward a state election.
Today host Karl Stefanovic on Wednesday grilled Treasurer Jim Chalmers about the Prime Minister's decision not to attend the NATO summit.
'I cant quite comprehend how Albo isn't in The Hague rattling Donald trump's cage for a meeting,' Stefanovic put to Mr Chalmers.
'We are well represented there by the Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who is also the Defence Minister,' the Treasurer said.
'The Prime Minister engages regularly and enthusiastically with world leaders including in Canada (at the G7 summit) just last week.
'There will be other opportunities for us to meet with our American counterparts.'
Stefanovic, in response, asked: 'what could be more important right now than our Prime Minister meeting with the President? Look at what's at stake for this country'.
He continued to press Mr Chalmers on the Prime Minister's inability to so far secure a face-to-face with the US President, saying: 'Donald Trump's just not that into Albo is he?'
'I don't know how you want me to respond to that, Karl,' the Treasurer replied.
'They've had a number of discussions including a very warm discussion after Prime Minister Albanese was returned for a second term … they've had discussions about trade and tariffs.'
In a significant move, NATO members agreed to lift defence spending to five per cent of GDP after lobbying from the Trump administration.
'Allies commit to invest 5 per cent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations,' NATO member leaders said in a joint statement.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously spoken about America's desire for Australia to lift its spending to 3.5 per cent, which the government has resisted.
The Albanese government announced on Thursday it would – at the request of NATO and Poland – deploy a E-7A Wedgetail aircraft in August to help protect humanitarian gateways.
Up to 100 Australian Defence Force personnel would be deployed alongside the aircraft in an operation expected to be completed in November, as part of the ongoing support efforts for Ukraine.
'Australia is proud of its longstanding operational partnership with NATO,' Mr Marles said.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher on Thursday told ABC News Breakfast the NATO summit was 'an important meeting at an important time' and backed Mr Marles' involvement.
As for whether Australia was under pressure to raise its defence spending, she said 'we've put billions of dollars into defence.
'We understand the environment we're working in,' Ms Gallagher said. 'We take the advice of our agencies seriously.
'When they come to us and say, this is the capability we need, and this is the – the funding that's required, we have provided that funding and that's the approach we'll continue to take.'
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