Anthony Albanese has been branded ‘out of his depth’ for failing to avoid an exemption from Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs, sparking fears for the future of the $300billion AUKUS partnership.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton lashed the Prime Minister’s lack of skill in lobbying the US President during a fiery rant on The Today Show on Thursday.
‘I just think he’s out of depth, and I completely and utterly disagree with the decision President Trump’s made,’ the Opposition leader said.
‘The prime minister can’t even get a call, let alone arrange a meeting with the president. It just shows that the prime minister doesn’t have the gravitas or the ability to deal with the big issues that our country faces.’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed would not be be spared from the 25 per cent tariffs during a press conference on Wednesday.
Mr Albanese slammed the move as ‘entirely unjustified’ and ‘disappointing’ after he held a supposedly ‘highly constructive’ call with Trump last month.
The prime minister insisted he had ‘mobilised everything at our disposal’ to secure a call with the US leader to plead ‘s case but to no avail.
But both party leaders remain united on one front: the AUKUS deal must stay.
Mr Dutton was quizzed by Karl Stefanovic if it was time to rethink the submarine deal under AUKUS.
‘I think the prime minister rightly points out, we live in the most precarious period since the end of the Second World War,’ he replied.
‘I believe strongly that it’s in our mutual best interest, the United States and , for AUKUS to work, and it’s not just the submarines.
‘And if it falls over on this government’s watch, that would be a catastrophe… And it’s unimaginable that the prime minister could, you know, could stuff this up as well.’
Mr Albanese was unmoved when a listener on ABC Radio Sydney suggested cancelling the agreement to save $300billion was a ‘no brainer’.
‘We’re not doing it as a favour. We’re doing it as a way of best defending our island continent,’ he said.
Mr Albanese said AUKUS stands ‘as a good deal for ‘, highlighting its geographic importance.
‘When you have an island continent located where we are, then it makes sense to invest in your navy,’ he said.
‘And the best form of of naval assets is submarines, and that is why we have gone down that route.’
The trilateral security agreement will see receive eight nuclear-powered submarines by the early 2030s but also ensures the UK, US, and have a show of strength in the instance that there is ever conflict with China.
As a result, fears that Trump might leave the deal are of pressing concern.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier warned can’t rely on Donald Trump to take military action against China following an attack on our shores.
‘Mr Trump has made it very clear, it’s part of his brand, part of his style, to be less predictable and he has certainly been prepared to take on allies,’ he said.
spends just two per cent of gross domestic product on defence, well below the American level of 3.5 per cent of GDP.
But the budget is expected to rise to 2.3 per cent of GDP by 2034, in line with current spending by the UK and ahead of France and China.