Topics: AUKUS review, AUSMIN, Defence restructure, Anika Wells expenses

 

E&OE

MEL CLARKE:

Now Mr Marles said last week the government was working through the Pentagon's much anticipated review of the AUKUS Pact, and the United States was completely supportive of the deal. Angus Taylor is the Shadow Minister for Defence. Angus Taylor, welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

G'day Mel, great to be with you.

MEL CLARKE:

Now what do you hope comes out of this meeting? It's the annual two plus two. What do you think the Australian Government needs to get out of this meeting?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, these are really important talks Mel. It’s the first AUSMIN in 18 months and the first under the new Trump Administration. So it's incredibly important that not only we see mutual confirmation of our commitment to AUKUS, but also confirmation of the initiatives that have got to support that. We need to see the expansion of the industrial base, obviously in the United States, to get these initial submarines built, but also we need a serious commitment and timetable to the facilities we need in Australia, particularly over in Western Australia, Henderson and Sterling, incredibly important facilities if we're going to make AUKUS a success. But also, we need a commitment to a site on the East Coast for a facility which has not yet occurred, and we need a focus on what's called Pillar Two, which is all the additional technologies. We know how important these are in modern combat, whether it's drones or space or electronic warfare and so on, cyber, these are areas that need very strong focus. I've just come back from the United States and seen the pace at which this is now moving. We need to get on board, and we need AUKUS to be supportive and focused on that.

MEL CLARKE:

Now there seems to have been a bit of a halt on things as the Pentagon has had its review of AUKUS. That certainly seems to have taken the attention of the US Administration here. Now the Pentagon's indicated it won't make that report public. We know the government's got it and is considering it. Do you have any concerns if this report isn't made public?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I think it's going to tell us what we already know: there’s very strong commitment from the United States to AUKUS. I think there are real concerns within the Administration about our funding of our defence force and our commitment to all of the initiatives that are necessary to make AUKUS succeed and for us to be an effective alliance partner and be able to stand on our own two feet.

MEL CLARKE:

So, do you think it's fine if it just stays as a confidential document between the Pentagon and the Australian Government?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I think what's important is the messages are clear that matter for us and for what we've got to do, that's what really matters, and I want to see that coming out of the AUSMIN talks. I think we are seriously underfunding our defence force right now. We are not standing on our own two feet as we need to. We have combat aircraft and combat ships that we know from the government's own data are seriously underutilised. They've got workforce problems, they’ve got funding problems, sustainment problems. This all needs to be surfaced, and we need to get serious about the most dangerous strategic circumstances we've faced since the Second World War.

MEL CLARKE:

Have you been briefed on the report? Has the government given you a briefing?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

No.

MEL CLARKE:

Do you want a briefing?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Absolutely and I've been working with the government to set up a new committee of the parliament that can get confidential briefings and we'll certainly be asking for that, absolutely Mel.

MEL CLARKE:

You're listening to Radio National Breakfast, and my guest is the Shadow Minister for Defence, Angus Taylor. Now Angus Taylor, last week, the government announced it will reorganise its defence bureaucracy and form the Defence Delivery Agency to bring more bang for buck, as it's described, and aimed at speeding up the delivery of projects. Do you think this is a good move?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I don't think it's actually achieving anything, and it's worse than that — shuffling around bureaucrats without dealing with the underlying issue, which is a desperate need for defence procurement reform. We need to get better, faster, more agile, more focused on sovereign capability when it comes to buying the equipment and services we need to have an effective defence force. The rest of the world is moving fast. The Americans are moving fast. We've seen the speed at which you've got to move from the Ukraine and Israel, and we've got to get serious about this. Moving a few bureaucrats around Mel is just not going to cut it. It doesn't do the job.

MEL CLARKE:

Just quickly want to whip through a few other issues. We've had a Chinese military jet allegedly lock its radar on Japanese fighter jets on two occasions. We learned about this yesterday. How concerned are you by this development, and is there a role for Australia here to support Japan?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I’m seriously concerned. It's dangerous. It's provocative. We've seen similar sorts of dangerous and provocative acts from the PLA, the Chinese Communist Party against our own brave men and women. It’s got to stop and it's important that our government, the Prime Minister, call this out and he hasn't done so. He hasn't stood with Japan on this. This is very, very important. Yes, we want to have a strong relationship with China and the Chinese people, but when the PLA acts in a way which is dangerous and provocative, we've got to call it out, and we've got to stand by our allies.

MEL CLARKE:

And look, there's been growing pressure on the Sports and Communications Minister Anika Wells over her use of travel allowances. The Coalition has certainly been critical. She's the Sports Minister. She's been going to sports events. She's taken her family to some events within the guidelines. What's wrong with that?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

You don't pay for your family to go on holidays with your expense funding. It might be within the rules Mel, but it doesn't pass the pub test. It seriously doesn't pass the pub test. I mean, flying your family down to Thredbo for a ski holiday, really? Do you think many Australians think that that's acceptable? It's clearly not. Whether it's in the rules or not, it doesn't pass the pub test.

MEL CLARKE:

Alright, Angus Taylor, we covered a bit of ground there. Thank you very much for joining me on Radio National Breakfast this morning.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Thanks Mel, good to be with you.

ENDS.