Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor has called for a lift in defence spending while pushing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the announced AUKUS review.The Pentagon confirmed it would review the trilateral defence pact, which includes a plan for Australia to receive nuclear-powered submarines.The review comes just a week after the United States called on Australia to boost defence spending to counter the “real and potentially imminent” threat from Beijing.
Taylor said the fact AUKUS was under review by was “deeply concerning” and added to a “growing list of issues in Australia’s relationship with the United States.”He said Albanese needed to secure a direct meeting with Trump to safeguard the agreement.“Reports today that Mr. Albanese’s scheduled meeting with the U.S. president are in limbo are troublesome,” he said.
“If this review has been triggered by the Albanese government’s refusal to commit to increased defence spending and its sanctioning of two Israeli ministers, then the government has very serious questions to answer about how it is managing our most critical allies,” Taylor added.Support UsAustralia News‘Troublesome’: Shadow Minister Concerned PM yet to Secure G7 Meeting With TrumpThe AUKUS trilateral defence deal is under review and adds to a growing list of priorities for the Albanese government to deal with.SavePrint‘Troublesome’: Shadow Minister Concerned PM yet to Secure G7 Meeting With TrumpAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L), US President Joe Biden (C) and former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold a press conference after a trilateral meeting during the AUKUS summit in San Diego, Calif., on March 13, 2023. Leon Neal/Getty ImagesMonica O’SheaMonica O’Shea6/12/2025|Updated: 6/12/20250:004:56X 1Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor has called for a lift in defence spending while pushing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the announced AUKUS review.The Pentagon confirmed it would review the trilateral defence pact, which includes a plan for Australia to receive nuclear-powered submarines.The review comes just a week after the United States called on Australia to boost defence spending to counter the “real and potentially imminent” threat from Beijing.Story continues below advertisementTaylor said the fact AUKUS was under review by was “deeply concerning” and added to a “growing list of issues in Australia’s relationship with the United States.”He said Albanese needed to secure a direct meeting with Trump to safeguard the agreement.“Reports today that Mr. Albanese’s scheduled meeting with the U.S. president are in limbo are troublesome,” he said.Related StoriesAUKUS Under Review as US Weighs Alignment With ‘America First’ DoctrineThe Epoch TimesFormer Ambassador Says Elon Musk Could Help Untangle AUKUS Submarine LogjamThe Epoch TimesAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looks on during a federal cabinet meeting in Perth, Australia on June 3, 2025. (Matt Jelonek/Getty Images)Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looks on during a federal cabinet meeting in Perth, Australia on June 3, 2025. Matt Jelonek/Getty Images“If this review has been triggered by the Albanese government’s refusal to commit to increased defence spending and its sanctioning of two Israeli ministers, then the government has very serious questions to answer about how it is managing our most critical allies,” Taylor added.Story continues below advertisement“If AUKUS falls over it is Australia that pays the price. We would face a dangerous gap in capability at a time when we lack the capacity to go it alone.”Albanese will travel to the G7 leaders meeting in Canada to be held on June 15-17, however, a meeting with President Trump is yet to be confirmed. The G7 consists of the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Germany, Canada, and France.What’s Involved in the AUKUS Review?The Pentagon’s review of the AUKUS security pact will be conducted by U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby.In a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing in early 2025, Colby expressed concerns about U.S. submarine production capacity. However, overall, he was relatively positive on the AUKUS pact.“AUKUS is a model of the type of cooperation we need to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” Colby said (pdf).
“I also agree with Secretary Hegseth that AUKUS is a model for how we should engage with our closest allies and partners when it comes to technology cooperation, scaling production, and integrating our industrial bases,” he added.“I believe we must increase U.S. attack submarine production to meet U.S. military requirements in the Indo-Pacific region – to ensure our servicemen and women are as well-armed as possible in the event of war – as well as to meet our obligations under AUKUS Pillar I.”Meanwhile, Defence Minister Richard Marles said he welcomed the AUKUS review and said the Australian government had known about it for some time.
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