The drums of Labor dissent are beating. Compounded by new US tariffs, they’ll get louder if Albanese is returned on 3 May.

Well before Donald Trump unveiled his country’s punitive tariffs, the graffiti was being figuratively scrawled on Labor’s walls, a reflection of the deep disquiet of party members about the continuation of the $368bn Aukus deal with the US.

The message has been simple. RETHINK AUKUS NOW.

After Trump’s 10% tariff announcement (cloaked as it was in nauseating terms about “wonderful” Australia), prime minister Anthony Albanese was quick to say “this is not the act of a friend”. Something of an understatement, that, though a welcome one for many of Albanese’s supporters who, with good reason, now view Trump’s America not only as a perfidious ally but also a downright dangerous one.

*Snip*

To quote another Labor figure: “Times have changed and any re-evaluation of the policy could be put in terms of ‘We can’t do this anymore with such an erratic, unstable ally’, rather than any admission that signing up to Aukus was a mistake in the first place.”

The drums of Labor dissent on Aukus are beating. They’ll get louder if Labor is returned on 3 May.

Meanwhile, come what may in the White House, a feckless bipartisan policy of supporting Aukus - along with an unquestioned, sanctified, US-Australia alliance - will continue together with the transparent gaslighting of the Australian public.

Instructively, it was barely a week ago that Albanese even invited Trump, though he’s not acting like a friend today, to visit Australia.

I can almost hear the shouting in the streets.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/04/with-friends-like-trump-who-needs-aukus-alp-members-are-demanding-an-answer?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other