Australia opposition leader Anthony Albanese accuses Scott Morrison of pandering to Donald Trump
Australia federal opposition Anthony Albanese
Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has called for Australia to play a more assertive role in its alliance with the United States, accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison of pandering to departing US President Donald Trump.
Key points:
- Mr Albanese urged the US to pick its battles with China
- He accused Mr Morrison of cosying up too closely to Mr Trump
- The Labor leader affirmed the ALP’s faith in the US alliance
Both sides of politics have been grappling with the full implications of the political chaos in the US in the wake of the January 6 riots at the Capitol.
In a major foreign policy speech timed to coincide with Joe Biden’s inauguration as US President, Mr Albanese called on the new administration to make a “greater, more strategic” effort to strengthen US influence in South-East Asia.
He urged the US to pick its battles with China, saying both great powers needed to compete without forcing smaller countries to take sides or stoking the risk of conflict.
And he accused Mr Morrison of cosying up too closely to Mr Trump, warning Australia should not stay mute if democratic norms were assaulted in the US.
Labor has repeatedly attacked Mr Morrison’s initial response to the events of January 6.
Mr Morrison called the violence “distressing” and condemned those who stormed the Capitol but did not directly criticise Mr Trump for inciting the crowd.
The Prime Minister said on Wednesday morning events over the past couple of months detracted from other things the US had achieved over the past four years.
“But there are some very good people in that administration. I particularly work closely with the Vice-President who I get on very well with and Secretary Pompeo,” he told radio station 2GB.
He said he was optimistic about America and believed the country would “bounce back”.
“It has been very, very disturbing what we’ve seen, particularly there on Capitol Hill, but it’s been a year full of violence in many ways in the United States,” he said.
He also responded to Mr Albanese’s criticism over how he has handled the Australia-US alliance.
“It’s the most important relationship we have and if people are going to have a crack at me because I worked with the President of the United States, well I think that reflects more on them than me.”
‘The desire to bring together US allies’
Mr Albanese alleged Mr Morrison trod carefully because he was afraid to confront “far-right extremist fringe dwellers who make up the bedrock of his personal support — and who he cultivates through the avatars of Trumpists and conspiracy theorists like [backbenchers] Craig Kelly and George Christensen.”
He called January 6 the USA’s “darkest hour” but emphasised that US institutions showed their strength by pressing on with a vote formalising Mr Biden’s victory in the presidential election.
“US democracy has shown its resilience. Attempts to undermine it have failed. But America came close to the brink,” Mr Albanese told the Perth USAsia Centre.
“The great tragedy of the recent past is the power of America’s example has been diminished from within. It is in Australia’s interests as a US ally to encourage the restoration of that power.”
The Labor leader affirmed the ALP’s faith in the US alliance, declaring it would “remain stronger than ever under a government I lead.”
But he also warned that authoritarian and isolationist undercurrents in the US might “complicate” the new administration’s efforts to revive US global leadership.
“Under President Trump, we saw the first steps in a retreat by the US from its historical role as the leader of the post-War international order; an order whose underlying values are those which Australians hold dear,” he said.
“So, I welcome Joe Biden’s strong commitment to US leadership in the world and the desire to bring together US allies to face challenges.”
Several Coalition MPs have already criticised Mr Albanese’s speech.
“Taking potshots at foreign leaders is not the role of an Australian PM, no matter how well it may play domestically,” Liberal MP and former diplomat Dave Sharma said on Twitter.
“Does he also call for more criticism of China’s leaders? Of course not. Misunderstands role of head of government in steering a country’s foreign relationships.”
Liberal Senator James Paterson said Mr Morrison sought a close relationship with the US “because it was in our national interest”.
“While other countries struggle to engage in Washington, we avoided tariffs, maintained refugee resettlement and profoundly influence the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy.”
South-East Asia relations under Biden
The Labor leader also took a thinly veiled shot at the Trump administration’s diplomacy in South-East Asia, suggesting its relentless focus on confronting China blinded it to the needs of smaller countries in the region.
“We should seek steady and predictable engagement [from the US]. An engagement guided by a deep understanding of regional countries’ interests, not attempts to force them to pick sides,” Mr Albanese said.
The Labor leader acknowledged China is increasingly breaking international rules, driving a bipartisan determination in Washington to compete directly with Xi Jinping’s regime.
But he urged the Biden administration to focus on providing “credible offers of support to regional countries” and “find[ing] ways to ensure any potential coercion is successfully resisted”.
“It’s more likely to succeed if President Biden plays to America’s strengths and puts some clearer definition around the terms of future US-China competition.
ABC
