Pearls and Irritations

Grassroots anti-AUKUS campaign, Labor Against War, has called on the federal Labor government to reveal the secret political undertakings it has said it has made to the US government as a condition for the continued pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines.

Labor Against War national convenor Marcus Strom said: “ALP members are horrified that the Albanese government has made confidential commitments to the United States concerning the operation of any US-supplied nuclear submarines delivered under the AUKUS agreement and concerning the disposal of any nuclear waste.

“Unfortunately, we can only expect the worst from such undertakings, otherwise why would they be secret? Commentators have speculated they relate to the US being able to commandeer such submarines during any conflict the US has with China.”

Labor Against War members met nationally over the weekend to build on momentum against AUKUS, after party elders Gareth Evans and Paul Keating have spoken out.

“Paul Keating is spot on when he says the membership abhors AUKUS. We indeed do not expect these policies from a Labor government,” Mr Strom said.

“We will be writing to every ALP candidate ahead of the federal election seeking to make clear their views on AUKUS and our stance in any war between the US and China.”

The LAW meeting also called on the federal government to reveal if Australian intelligence is involved in providing targeting information to the Israel Defence Forces, either directly or indirectly, such as through the Joint Defence Facility at Pine Gap.

“Australians have made it clear they do not want to be dragged into more wars by the United States, either with China or into the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

“The Albanese government must reveal its secret political undertakings on AUKUS. And if Pine Gap is involved in any intelligence fuelling the Middle East war, it must make that public and stop providing such information immediately,” Mr Strom said.

Background

MOTION FOR BRANCHES | LABOR AGAINST WAR | 2024-25

This [branch/Party unit] notes it is becoming clearer that AUKUS is less about defence planning for Australia and more about war planning for the United States in Asia.

We note:

• Australia has publicly announced it has made secret “political commitments” to the US and UK in new treaties to try to bolster the flagging AUKUS agreement
• The first tranche of Australian taxpayers’ money for AUKUS – up to $10 billion over the next four years – is going to subsidise shipyards in the US and UK
• Comments by the US Deputy Secretary for State, Kurt Campbell, make it clear that AUKUS is about “getting Australia … locked in now for the next 40 years”.

The signing of treaties with secret provisions, priority funding for US and UK military infrastructure, and the sentiment of senior US officials are all evidence enough that AUKUS is counter to Australia having an independent foreign and defence policy.

We further note that AUKUS Pillar II is part of interoperability of advanced military technology – robotics, artificial intelligence and missile technology – between the US and Australia, further enmeshing Australia into the US war machine.

This [branch/party unit] therefore supports comments by former foreign minister Gareth Evans that “Australia’s no-holds-barred embrace of AUKUS is more likely than not to prove one of the worst defence and foreign policy decisions our country has made”.

We support recent comment from Paul Keating who states:

• the Albanese Government, through [AUKUS] and the ambitious basing of American military forces on Australian soil, is doing nothing other than abrogating Australia’s sovereign right to command its own continent and its military forces.
• The ALP membership abhors AUKUS and everything that smacks of national sublimation. It does not expect these policies from a Labor Government.

We therefore call on our federal MP and senators to make representations to caucus for Australia to withdraw from AUKUS.

Further, we call on the Federal Labor Government to:

• Make public the secret provisions of recently signed AUKUS treaties with the United States and the United Kingdom
• Publicly commit to never accepting, handling or storing nuclear waste of any kind from the US or UK
• freeze AUKUS funding for US and UK manufacturing and instead prioritise investment in Australian manufacturing and the transition to a renewable energy economy.

Send to Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister, Federal MP (where relevant), relevant Senator in your state/territory, federal electoral council

Labor Against War Statement on Israel’s War on Gaza and Lebanon

14 October 2024

Labor Against War calls for an immediate ceasefire to end Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in Gaza and in the unfolding war in Lebanon.

We oppose Australian political or diplomatic support or involvement in arming Israel in its pursuit of these wars. We call on the Australian government to disclose any involvement of its security organisations – including activity at Pine Gap – to provide targeting intelligence to the Israeli military, and to cease all such activity immediately.

Australia should sanction military trade with Israel by cancelling all arms or military goods export licences to Israel or bound for Israel, including Australian made components for the F35 Joint Strike Fighters.

Australia should suspend diplomatic relations with Israel until a ceasefire is called.

Labor Against War opposes any Australian involvement in these wars, including the deployment of Navy vessels, intelligence, command or logistics support.

We will vigorously campaign in the Labor Party, with the labour and peace movement and wider community to achieve these aims and for a just resolution of these conflicts based on international peace and human solidarity.

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