Grassroots anti-AUKUS campaign, Labor Against War, has called on the federal Labor government to withdraw Australia from the AUKUS military pact.
With a second Trump presidency all but assured as of Wednesday evening, Australia’s commitment to AUKUS and its nuclear-powered war-fighting plans has become even further removed from the interests of the Australian people.
“It is completely untenable for Australia to continue in lock-step with a militarised US government led by an unstable President,” said Labor Against War national convenor, Marcus Strom.
“Being part of a heavily integrated military alliance with a Trump presidency is dangerous, expensive and counter to the interests of the Australian people.”
Defence Minister Richard Marles on Tuesday said that AUKUS is secure, no matter who won this week’s US Presidential election.
“That is just an admission from our government that AUKUS is mad, bad and dangerous enough that even Donald Trump supports it,” Mr Strom said.
“The Albanese government needs to use this inflection point to remove Australians from harm’s way, exit AUKUS and the war planning of an increasingly unstable United States.”
Mr Strom said: “Given the Albanese government has said it made secret political undertakings to the US in August to continue with AUKUS, it is vital those provisions be made public now, so the Australian public can judge their wisdom or otherwise.
“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.”
Marcus Strom
Marcus Strom is former President of MEAA Media, the journalists’ union, a former Labor Press Secretary and is a member of the ALP.
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