Latest news with #KevinHogan
Sky News AU
10-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Greens and Nationals clash over importance of AUKUS in heated debate
Deputy Nationals Leader Kevin Hogan and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young spoke with Sky News Australia on the implications and concerns over Trumps tariffs placed on Australian pharmaceuticals. The Greens senator weighed in on the AUKUS deal labelling it as a 'dud deal for Australia'. 'Australian tax payers that are front footing most of the costs upfront, were the ones putting the money on the table, billions of dollars already, now Donald Trump and his administration think that they can get more out of us,' Ms Hanson-Young said. 'This is a shakedown, from a guy who is clearly just out of control… This has got nothing to do with the economics, nothing to do with what's in the interest of American people, this is all about Donald Trump trying to make political friends and make political statements for his corrupt mates.' The deputy Nationals leader fired back at her comments, saying 'some of the things Sarah said there are quite important and quite dangerous, to say Trump is out of control and to say all of these anti-American things'. 'America and the longstanding alliance we have with them is very important,' he added.
Sky News AU
09-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed for escalation in United States' trade war amid flailing Trump relationship
The Albanese government has been blamed for neglecting the US relationship after President Trump announced massive tariffs on several major export industries. President Trump announced on Wednesday his intention to introduce tariffs of up to 200 per cent on pharmaceutical products and 50 per cent on copper. The punitive trade measures threaten to devastate drug manufacturers in Australia, whose exports to the US were valued at about $2 billion—40 per cent of exports—in 2024. Meanwhile, the Albanese government remains unable to meet with President Trump or secure exemptions from the tariffs, despite other countries negotiating trade deals. Shadow Trade Minister Kevin Hogan has held Mr Albanese responsible and accused him of presiding over a collapse in the Australia-US relationship, resulting in punitive trade barriers. 'This should have been raised at the highest levels months ago,' Mr Hogan said in a statement on Wednesday. 'It is frankly embarrassing that our Prime Minister has still not secured a meeting with President Trump. 'The Prime Minister must act before more damage is done… Labor has dropped the ball and Australian businesses are paying the price. This is about our national interest.' Medicines Australia, which represents the research-based pharmaceutical industry of Australia, called on the Albanese government to seek clarification on the issue. "Australia exported around A$2.2 billion in pharmaceutical products to the US but imported around A$4 billion. The introduction of tariffs does not make sense." Medicines Australia said. "We are working with government agencies to seek clarification on the recent suggestion of significant tariffs on Australian pharmaceuticals." The Reserve Bank of Australia has also issued an unusually direct warning about the consequences of President Trump's trade agenda. Speaking at the Australian Conference of Economists on Wednesday, RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser said the global economy was facing a 'profound' shock. 'How worried are we about (Trump's tariffs)? We are very, very focused on it. The level of uncertainty is clearly elevated,' Mr Hauser said. 'The first-round effects of these changes in US tariffs are probably relatively minor, but the effects on the broader global economy are profound.' Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed on Wednesday the government was 'very concerned' and had reached out to the Trump administration. 'Much more concerning are the developments around pharmaceuticals,' Mr Chalmers told ABC Radio National. 'Our pharmaceuticals industry is much more exposed to the U.S. market, and that's why we're urgently seeking some more detail on what's been announced.' The pressure on Mr Albanese has intensified as Canada and the United Kingdom have both successfully negotiated tariff exemptions. Notably, both countries have committed to lifting their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, as was demanded by the US. In contrast, Australia's defence budget has been forecast to reach only 2.33 per cent of GDP by 2033, which has frustrated the Trump administration. Despite months of uncertainty, Mr Albanese has still not secured a face-to-face meeting with President Trump, after their first scheduled meeting was abruptly cancelled. 'We'll have a meeting when it's scheduled,' Mr Albanese recently told Sky News when asked about the status of the relationship. 'There will be a range of meetings between now and the end of the year with President Trump.' The standoff has also been complicated by the Albanese government's personal attacks against President Trump, which experts warned have 'sabotaged' the relationship. Former Trump trade adviser Kelly Ann Shaw told Sky News the solution to negotiating tariffs was to reach a deal with President Trump. 'I would assume that the government of Australia would be interested in negotiating something similar to what the UK seems to have gotten,' she said. 'These sectoral investigations — steel, aluminium, autos, pharmaceutical, semiconductors — are being wrapped up in broader negotiations. 'It really does depend on those bilateral discussions between Canberra and Washington in terms of what's agreed to and where the real pressure points are.'
News.com.au
06-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Albanese slammed by opposition for waving ‘white flag' ahead of tariff deadline
Anthony Albanese's admission that he does not expect a US tariff carve out ahead of the upcoming deal deadline is 'waving a white flag' to Washington, according to the opposition. The 90-day freeze on Donald Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day' tariffs is set to expire on Wednesday. Australian goods are subject to universal 10 per cent duties, with steel and aluminium slugged with imposts of up to 50 per cent. The Prime Minister told a News Corp summit this week he did not expect that to change. Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said on Sunday he did not know why the Prime Minister had been so quick to pre-empt the US decision. 'We have seen carve outs for some countries,' Mr Hogan told Sky News. 'We know the UK have had a bit of a carve out on the steel and aluminium tariffs – remember, steel and aluminium tariffs have gone up to 50 per cent, they're not at 10 per cent. 'Countries have got carve outs to that … Mexico get a few carve outs, Canada have got a few carve outs from what tariffs they initially had as well. 'So there are countries dealing and talking to the US President but not ours.' Only the UK and Vietnam have so far reached trade deals in the 90-day pause, but neither have had tariffs removed altogether. EU officials this week said trade talks had fallen through and that they were shifting their efforts to maintaining the status quo to get more time to negotiate. India has also failed to lock in a deal. Mr Hogan put the lack of an Australian exemption down to Mr Albanese's failure to meet the US President, even though plenty of world leaders had met Mr Trump and still faced far worse tariffs. 'It is embarrassing that our Prime Minister has not been able to secure a physical meeting,' Mr Hogan said. 'I think initially it wasn't a priority of his – now he seems to be struggling to get one. 'Given the importance of that country, not just on the economic relationship we have, but the national security relationship … the fact our two leaders haven't had a chat and Albanese hasn't been able to secure that is absolutely embarrassing.' Mr Albanese has had several phone calls with Mr Trump, including after Labor's landslide win at the federal election. In his comments to the News Corp summit on Friday, Mr Albanese repeated his government's line that the US tariffs were 'an act of economic self-harm' and that he would continue to make the case for an Australian exemption 'We continue to be engaged with our American friends, but they have a different position on tariffs,' he said. 'If you look at what the impact has been so far, our beef exports are up. 'Our exports in a range of other products are up as well. 'Lamb's down a little bit, steel and aluminium have been impacted, but not hugely. 'We are in a position where on 9 July, that won't really have an impact on us because that's about other countries who have higher rates overnight.' Mr Trump included Australia in sweeping tariffs after telling Mr Albanese a Canberra carve out was 'under consideration'. Pressed on that interaction with Mr Trump, Mr Albanese said they 'did have a constructive discussion' but that 'President Trump … made a decision that's consistent with his public comments'. 'He did say that, but he has also said that there's no more beautiful word in the English language than 'tariff',' he said. 'Now we have a different view. That wouldn't even be … in my, to quote top 10 lists … that wouldn't be in my top million of words.'
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Albo slammed for tariff ‘white flag'
Anthony Albanese's admission that he does not expect a US tariff carve out ahead of the upcoming deal deadline is 'waving a white flag' to Washington, according to the opposition. The 90-day freeze on Donald Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day' tariffs is set to expire on Wednesday. Australian goods are subject to universal 10 per cent duties, with steel and aluminium slugged with imposts of up to 50 per cent. The Prime Minister told a News Corp summit this week he did not expect that to change. Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said on Sunday he did not know why the Prime Minister had been so quick to pre-empt the US decision. 'We have seen carve outs for some countries,' Mr Hogan told Sky News. 'We know the UK have had a bit of a carve out on the steel and aluminium tariffs – remember, steel and aluminium tariffs have gone up to 50 per cent, they're not at 10 per cent. 'Countries have got carve outs to that … Mexico get a few carve outs, Canada have got a few carve outs from what tariffs they initially had as well. 'So there are countries dealing and talking to the US President but not ours.' Only the UK and Vietnam have so far reached trade deals in the 90-day pause, but neither have had tariffs removed altogether. EU officials this week said trade talks had fallen through and that they were shifting their efforts to maintaining the status quo to get more time to negotiate. India has also failed to lock in a deal. Mr Hogan put the lack of an Australian exemption down to Mr Albanese's failure to meet the US President, even though plenty of world leaders had met Mr Trump and still faced far worse tariffs. 'It is embarrassing that our Prime Minister has not been able to secure a physical meeting,' Mr Hogan said. 'I think initially it wasn't a priority of his – now he seems to be struggling to get one. 'Given the importance of that country, not just on the economic relationship we have, but the national security relationship … the fact our two leaders haven't had a chat and Albanese hasn't been able to secure that is absolutely embarrassing.' Mr Albanese has had several phone calls with Mr Trump, including after Labor's landslide win at the federal election. In his comments to the News Corp summit on Friday, Mr Albanese repeated his government's line that the US tariffs were 'an act of economic self-harm' and that he would continue to make the case for an Australian exemption 'We continue to be engaged with our American friends, but they have a different position on tariffs,' he said. 'If you look at what the impact has been so far, our beef exports are up. 'Our exports in a range of other products are up as well. 'Lamb's down a little bit, steel and aluminium have been impacted, but not hugely. 'We are in a position where on 9 July, that won't really have an impact on us because that's about other countries who have higher rates overnight.' Mr Trump included Australia in sweeping tariffs after telling Mr Albanese a Canberra carve out was 'under consideration'. Pressed on that interaction with Mr Trump, Mr Albanese said they 'did have a constructive discussion' but that 'President Trump … made a decision that's consistent with his public comments'. 'He did say that, but he has also said that there's no more beautiful word in the English language than 'tariff',' he said. 'Now we have a different view. That wouldn't even be … in my, to quote top 10 lists … that wouldn't be in my top million of words.'
Sky News AU
03-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘He's inconsequential': PM's inability to secure meeting with Trump is ‘disappointing'
Deputy Nationals Leader Kevin Hogan labels Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's inability to secure any form of communication with President Donald Trump 'disappointing.' This comes after the confirmation of 10 per cent tariffs being applied to Australian trade. 'Prime Minister Albanese is a bit … inconsequential on the world stage with America and others.' Mr Hogan told Sky News Australia. 'It's very disappointing because that hasn't always been the case for Australian prime ministers.' 'We know he hasn't got a meeting, and a lot of other leaders have had physical meetings with the president, I don't think the prime minister can even secure a phone call right now.'
