Latest news with #Australian-US
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Message to Rudd after Trump's tariff blindside
Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie has blamed for Australia's ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd for our 'clunky' relationship with the US. Senator McKenzie says if Mr Rudd had been 'successfully doing his job', Australia would have secured a meeting with Donald Trump by now and would not be blindsided by announcements from the White House. The comments about Mr Rudd's position in Washington comes as the US President flagged punitive 50 per cent tariffs on copper and up to 200 per cent on pharmaceuticals imports. While Australia's copper exports to the US totalled just $55m, pharmaceutical exports accounted for about 40 per cent of exports in 2024 at the value of $2bn. Although Senator McKenzie said questions about Mr Rudd's future in Washington are a 'decision for government,' she had doubts about his performance. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has said Australia's 'clunky' relationship with the US is proof Kevin Rudd is not 'successfully' doing his job as ambassador. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'Is he successfully doing his job would be my question, because if he was, the Prime Minister would be able to pick up the phone and we wouldn't be having to be worried about reviews in AUKUS, a $2bn export industry potentially (being) at risk but we don't really know the details because we can't just pick up the phone or get the meeting,' she told the ABC. 'We've got … issues with copper, we've got issues with steel and aluminium, and we've got calls from the US to increase defence spending that we're continually ignoring.' Senator McKenzie, who is also the Coalition's infrastructure and transport spokeswoman, said Australia was facing a 'raft' of issues on the Australian-US dynamic, and said it was Mr Rudd's job to improve communications. This comes with Mr Albanese under increasing pressure to secure a face-to-face meeting with the US leader, with the next window set for the Quad meeting slated for early September in India. 'And it is the ambassador's main job to smooth those waters, and if he was doing his job, things wouldn't be as clunky as they seem to be, where you see treasurer Chalmers this morning almost being taken by surprise from comments out of the US,' she said. Bridget McKenzie questioned why Anthony Albanese was yet to secure a meeting with Donald Trump. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Asked if this assessment 'was fair' given Mr Trump's 'erratic' leadership, Senator McKenzie said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has managed to have 'close, personal, warm relationship with President Trump'. She said this resulted Sir Starmer being given a heads up before the US launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in June. 'The reality is the US remains our most important ally. The truth is, we can't afford to defend ourselves without them,' she continued. 'And the casual approach by the Albanese government post the US election has been troubling, and I think it's my job in the opposition to raise these concerns.' While Australia's current universal tariffs are expected to remain at a baseline 10 per cent, Mr Chalmers said Australia will not negotiate on weakening the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which subsidises hundred of medicines despite Mr Trump's latest tariff threat. 'Every time this is raised, it's given us the opportunity to point out that our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is very near and dear to us, we won't be diminishing it or trading it away,' he vowed.
Sky News AU
06-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese 'raises eyebrows' in Washington by shying away from US in John Curtin address
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to downplay the US alliance in a major address has rattled the diplomatic relationship amid an AUKUS review, defence spending tensions and criticism from the Trump administration. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has 'raised eyebrows' in the United States at a time of growing disunity, sparking further concerns about his relationship with Washington. In his weekend address at the 80th anniversary of former prime minister John Curtin's death, Mr Albanese distanced Australia from its history as a close ally of the US. He said that Australia would pursue its interests as a 'sovereign nation' and not be 'shackled to the past', after Mr Curtin led the country through WWII as a close ally of the US. Mr Albanese declared the US alliance should be seen as a 'product' of Mr Curtin's leadership in foreign, but not the 'extent' of it. 'Curtin's famous statement that Australia 'looked to America' was much more than the idea of trading one strategic guarantor for another,' Mr Albanese told the John Curtin Research Centre. 'It was a recognition that Australia's fate would be decided in our region.' The comments have been interpreted by policy experts as a rhetorical step away from the US alliance, and risk being seen in Washington as a signal of diplomatic divergence. Former Trump senior advisor Christian Whiton weighed in on the Prime Minister's speech, telling Sky News that it would be met with "skepticism" by the US. 'I think you have to look at it as sort of a globalist, soft on China signal,' Mr Whiton said on Sunday. 'Maybe it's one that the United States invited because, you know, the review of AUKUS is sort of an own goal situation; it's a little unclear." Mr Whiton added that the Australian-US relationship was enduring and that the two countries' shared history was "more important than any verbiage back and forth" "There's a lot of mixed messages going on," he said. Retired major general of the Australian Army Mick Ryan also told Sky News that Mr Albanese's speech would "raise eyebrows in the US capital". "There was a huge amount of enthusiasm for talking down any threat whatsoever posed by China (in the speech)," Mr Ryan said. "The fact that the US wasn't mentioned, not just in the current concept, but also its great contribution to Australia's defence in the Pacific War will really affect many of our friends in the United States." It comes as the AUKUS agreement has come under review by the US Pentagon, a defence pact that was set up to enhance US involvement in securing the Indo-Pacific region. Nationals deputy leader Kevin Hogan warned on Sunday that Mr Albanese had failed to prioritise the US relationship since President Donald Trump was elected in November 2024. 'Given the importance of that country, not just on the economic relationship we have, but the national security relationship, it should be (embarrassing) to all Australians,' Mr Hogan said. 'We know the US is doing a review into AUKUS as well, and the fact our two leaders haven't had a chat and Albanese hasn't been able to secure that is absolutely embarrassing.' — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 5, 2025 Tensions rise following AUKUS friction The fallout from Mr Albanese's speech followed weeks of growing strain in the trilateral AUKUS security pact after the US Pentagon ordered a review of the deal. A US defence official said the review would ensure the pact met President Trump's 'America First' agenda, amid criticism of Australia's comparatively low level of defence spending. That decision came before Australia and the UK adopted what critics described as 'ambiguous' positions on President Trump's recent strikes against Iran. Mr Albanese waited 24 hours before his government issued a carefully worded statement that stopped short of endorsing the US strikes, calling instead for 'de-escalation' and 'dialogue'. That response was branded 'flat-footed' by the opposition, with acting shadow foreign affairs minister Andrew Hastie saying Mr Albanese 'should have stood up and spoken to the Australian people'. 'Sending out a government spokesman to make a brief comment about one of the biggest events to happen in the last five years was not good enough,' Mr Hastie said at the time. The perceived reluctance to back US action in the Middle East likely deepened concerns in Washington over Australia's reliability as an ally. The Trump administration has been publicly frustrated by the Albanese government's resistance to increasing defence spending to 3.5 per cent requested by USDefence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Albanese government has committed to spending 2.3 per cent of GDP by 2033, far shy of the 5 per cent agreed to by NATO allies by 2035. PM dismisses concerns Despite the mounting concerns, Mr Albanese has downplayed the idea of a rift between Australia and the US. Speaking at the Sky News/The Australian's Economic Outlook forum on Friday, he insisted that he was 'not worried' about relations with the United States. He said he was confident in getting a meeting with President Trump, even after their scheduled meeting at the G7 in Canada was abruptly cancelled. President Trump then failed to follow up with a phone call, despite speaking with other world leaders, and no meeting has been booked in since. 'I'm not worried by someone making an understandable decision, which he did, to return to Washington,' Mr Albanese said of the cancelled meeting on Friday. 'Of course, we will have meetings. There will be a range of meetings between now and the end of the year with President Trump.'
Perth Now
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘For ourselves': Albo's pointed jab at US
Anthony Albanese will pay homage to former Labor prime minister John Curtin as not just the leader who founded Australia's alliance with the US, but one who stood up against allied super powers, in pointed comments amid concerns over Australia's relationship with America. Mr Curtin's leadership, which lasted between 1941 to 1945, lasted during the Pacific War and the bombing of Darwin and Broome by the Japanese. He died while in office, before peace was declared. In a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of Mr Curtin's death on Saturday, the Prime Minister will credit the Labor figure with forging Australia's long-held alliance with the United States. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will pay tribute to John Curtin on the 80th anniversary of his death on Saturday. Jane Dempster/Pool/NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia John Curtin served as prime minister from 1941 to 1945. National Library of Australia Credit: Supplied However Mr Albanese will also note Mr Curtin's decision to stand up to the US and the United Kingdom, then led by Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill his decision not to send Australian troops to then Burma, now Myanmar, in what would have been days before it fell to the Japanese. 'Hundreds if not thousands of Australians would have been killed, or taken prisoner. It would have been a disaster every bit as crushing to national morale as the fall of Singapore,' Mr Albanese is expected to tell attendees at Sydney's John Curtin Research Centre. Mr Albanese will note that while the Australian-US alliance 'ought to be remembered as a product of Curtin's leadership in defence and foreign policy, not the extent of it'. Instead, he will say that Mr Curtin had the 'confidence and determination to think and act for ourselves'. 'Because Curtin's famous statement that Australia 'looked to America' was much more than the idea of trading one strategic guarantor for another. Or swapping an alliance with the old world for one with the new,' he will say. 'It was a recognition that Australia's fate would be decided in our region. It followed the decision Curtin had made in 1941 that Australia would issue its own declaration of war with Japan. 'Speaking for ourselves, as a sovereign nation.' Anthony Albanese credited Mr Curtin for not only cementing the Australia-US alliance but also for speaking up for Australia as a 'sovereign nation'. Max Mason-Hubers/ Pool/ NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia His remarks come as the Albanese government is currently under pressure by the Trump administration to amp up defence spending to 3.5 per cent, comes amid concerns of fragile global stability and claims from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that China would imminently invade Beijing. Mr Albanese has frequently rejected US pressure to amp up defence spending, stating that investment will be calculated according to Australia's needs. Labor is also under pressure to negotiate a tariff carveout, however on Friday he said he believed the levy applied to non steel and aluminium imports would remain at 10 per cent after Donald Trump's July 9 deadline. Mr Albanese is also set to champion to 'rights and the role of middle powers and smaller nations' and speak to the importance of collective responsibility in the Indo-Pacific, despite fears of China's increasing aggression in the area. Ensuring that the 'sovereignty of every nation is respected and the dignity of every individual is upheld' is another priority. He will say his government will continue to rebuild Australia 'standing as a leader and partner in the Pacific,' deepen economic engagement in South East Asia, while 'patiently and deliberately working to stabilise our relationship with China'.
The Advertiser
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
PM breaks silence to back US military strikes on Iran
Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict. Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict. Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict. Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict.
Sydney Morning Herald
12-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Give Trump ‘a new Pine Gap', say experts claiming AUKUS go-slow
AUKUS was announced in 2021, but the government has not picked a nuclear waste site or an east coast submarine base, and there are concerns about the speed of planning for a shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia. Australia made the first of six $US500 million ($770 million) payments to boost the capacity of the US submarine industry earlier this year as part of the $368 billion deal, and has hosted visiting American vessels. The US informed Australia about a 30-day review of the pact weeks ago, which became public on Thursday. Defence Minister Richard Marles said he welcomed the review. 'It's something which is perfectly natural for an incoming administration to do,' he said on the ABC. Senior Australian government sources, not permitted to speak publicly, said the US stood to gain from AUKUS and believed the review might be designed to gain leverage as Washington pushed Australia to spend more on defence. Former US ambassador Joe Hockey said bases should be expanded into locations at which the US could perform large volumes of submarine maintenance to help the US overturn a backlog crippling its ability to keep subs in operation. 'It would be enormously important to the Americans and allow for a significant increase in their capability and deterrence value in the region,' Hockey told this masthead. 'Australia is lagging behind.' The man central to the US' AUKUS review, defence official Elbridge Colby, has previously expressed reservations about handing over nuclear submarines in the early 2030s at the same time as a potential confrontation between China and Taiwan may demand all the US' firepower. Colby has this year made more positive remarks about AUKUS' first pillar. The review was instituted by Colby, not the White House. But Colby's focus on war-readiness in the case of a conflict with China – which is far from guaranteed, and may not draw in Australia – has spurred calls to make the AUKUS deal more useful for its short-term focus on China. Pezzullo, who helmed the 2009 defence white paper, said the Henderson base should be transformed into a joint facility. 'Better still, Australia could establish this shipyard, by treaty, as a joint Australian-US facility, in recognition of its vital role in the alliance, which could be at least as significant as the contribution of the Pine Gap satellite ground station,' he wrote in an article for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank last month. In 2023, the Albanese government dismissed Pezzullo for exerting undue political influence under the previous Coalition government. 'Being able to operate routinely in the Indian Ocean without having to transit the congested littoral waters of Southeast Asia and in the Western Pacific in times of tension and conflict is of immense strategic value to the US,' Pezzullo wrote. Such a move would likely be contentious and trigger concerns, particularly on the left, about Australian sovereignty and hewing more closely to the US at a time when Western allies and citizens are growing more doubtful about US President Donald Trump's reliability. Loading But Shoebridge said Australia was already deeply enmeshed in US military architecture via Pine Gap, a critical intelligence facility near Alice Springs, and the presence of US Marines in Darwin, approved by former prime minister Julia Gillard. 'I think it would be getting to a level with Pine Gap,' Shoebridge said, backing the idea of a bigger plan for Henderson and criticising Labor for the speed of decision-making and funding on AUKUS milestones. 'If we're not doing those long lead-time items, how can we still tell the Americans we are serious about AUKUS?'
