AUKUS, IRAN AND THE INDO-PACIFIC

Dear Liberal friends,

The old adage that “a week is a long time in politics” has been starkly demonstrated as an enduring truth with the significant world events that have unfolded over the past seven days or so.

Israel has further exercised its sovereign right to defend its people and ensure the security of future generations. 

The Unites States strongly backed Israel with a series of precision strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran. It appears the US strikes will end Iran’s nuclear capacity for now.

The Coalition supports actions taken by the United States of America to ensure that the Iranian regime is stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons. 

The Coalition stands with the United States of America.

We can never allow the Iranian regime the capacity to enact its objectives of the destruction of the United States and Israel. 

The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iran and acting now to ensure that is the case is the right thing to do.

A nuclear armed Iranian regime would be a serious and direct threat to world peace and stability, especially as it continues to engage in terrorism including by supporting its proxies: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

These events are a long way from Australia but have implications for us and the rest of the world.

President Donald Trump left the G7 meeting in Canada early to deal with the situation in the Middle East.

For Australia this meant a planned meeting between the President and our Prime Minister on the sidelines of the G7 was cancelled.

Given the situation in the Middle East, the decision by the President to cancel the meeting is completely understandable but to the detriment of Australia.

This was an important opportunity for the Prime Minister to seek assurances on AUKUS and protect Australia from tariffs.

Given global volatility and the growing list of issues in our relationship with the United States, this underscores that the Prime Minister should not have merely relied on meeting with the President on the sidelines of international summits.

The Prime Minister should have been more proactive in seeking to strengthen this relationship – Australia’s most important – and we encourage him to change his approach to advance our national interest.

As Australians we must step up our engagement across the board with the United States. 

President Trump won the US election more than 200 days ago and has held meetings with leaders from the UK, Canada, Germany, Ireland, France, Japan, Norway and South Africa.

Our Prime Minister has only spoken to the President on the phone.

On the international stage Australia needs its leader to stand up for our interests so we can build a stronger Australian economy.

President Trump’s tariffs on our steelmakers are not in the spirit of our century-old partnership, nor in line with our 20-year-old free trade agreement. 

We urge the United States Administration to give Australia a fair go and remove the tariffs, as they have done for the United Kingdom.

And we urge the Albanese Government not to compromise on policies that ensure affordable healthcare, biosecurity, and a fair economic landscape for Australian businesses and families.

It must not sell out our Australian farmers and producers. Success can not be achieved through putting our world-class agriculture at risk. 

In regard to AUKUS, the Coalition put it in place and we want it to succeed. 

But the fact AUKUS is under review by the Pentagon is concerning because any delay or downgrade in the US commitment will impact our future defence capability.

The Prime Minister must seek assurances from President Trump to safeguard the AUKUS agreement. 

AUKUS is the most important strategic initiative Australia has entered into in decades.

It provides the nuclear-powered submarines and technological edge we need to deter conflict and defend our sovereignty in a more contested Indo-Pacific.

This is not business as usual. The Prime Minister cannot afford to be a bystander in our relationship with the United States. 

Anthony Albanese must put Australia’s case clearly and secure the commitments we were promised.

We will always support bipartisan cooperation on national security, but that cooperation cannot mask inaction from the Government.

The Coalition wants the government to succeed here because that is in our national interest.

I will always be guided by what is in Australia’s national interest in my new role as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Australia’s approach to foreign policy must be grounded in values, strength, and clear-eyed engagement with the world.

The Coalition’s approach is based on four key principles which underpin our foreign policy framework. 

The first principle is the recognition that Australia’s influence is a function of our domestic strength and resilience. 

The blurring of the line between domestic and foreign policy has been a consistent trend over the past decade acknowledged on all sides of politics. Our approach is adapted to that reality. 

We do not approach foreign policy in isolation. We recognise that the foreign affairs portfolio is intrinsically linked to trade, defence, and other portfolios.

Influence abroad comes from a dynamic, productive, and competitive economy — one that creates jobs, attracts investment, fosters innovation, and equips Australians with the skills and opportunities to succeed in a rapidly changing world. 

A strong economy is not just an abstract measure of GDP; it is the engine that funds our national security, underpins social cohesion, and gives Australia the ability to engage internationally from a position of confidence, not dependence. 

Influence also comes from a credible and capable military—not designed for aggression but for defence.

We need to be able to deter threats, safeguard our sovereignty, strengthen our alliances and support a rules-based international order. 

A resilient Australia invests in modern capabilities, supports its service personnel, and works seamlessly with trusted partners like AUKUS and NATO and Quad member countries help to ensure both regional and global stability. 

Our sovereignty must never be traded for undue reliance or short-term advantage.

The second principle that guides the Coalition’s approach to foreign policy is the understanding that in universal democratic values uplift not only our own society but all societies. 

The Coalition believes in freedom, equality, the rule of law, human rights, and mutual respect — not simply as national preferences, but as universal aspirations. 

These values define who we are as Australians, but they also guide how we engage with the world. 

They compel us to stand up for democracy, to support open societies, and to help resist the authoritarian drift seen in too many parts of the world today. 

Open democratic systems foster prosperity, peace and stability—and we recognise that Australia’s own prosperity and national security improve when there is greater peace and prosperity internationally. 

We guard against protectionism not only from a philosophical perspective, but also because championing open markets allows us to grow our economy, create jobs, and position Australia to navigate global challenges effectively. 

We support democratic regimes because doing so contributes to a rules-based order that ultimately generate the stability and certainty that contribute to Australian security and prosperity. 

The third principle is the commitment to pragmatic multilateralism and bilateralism in Australia’s interests.

In a complex and strategically challenging world, Australia needs friends. 

The Coalition’s credentials are strong in this space. 

The AUKUS agreement, the Quad, our five-eyes partnerships, the ANZUS treaty, the five-powers defence arrangement, our raft of comprehensive strategic partnerships, our adoption of Magnitsky-style sanctions—these are all measures the Coalition has supported. 

Bilateral free trade agreements with South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Peru, Indonesia and India, and multilateral agreements such as the CPTPP, PACER Plus and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership were all signed on the Coalition’s watch. 

Bilateral and multilateral cooperation are in the Coalition’s DNA. They are the logical expression of our values that support stable democracies and free and open markets. 

The fourth principle which informs the Coalition approach to foreign policy is a recognition of strength and opportunity that comes from Australia’s uniquely diverse and multicultural population. 

Coalition leaders have often said that Australia as a country is made up of three interdependent strands that are woven together: an Indigenous heritage, a British foundation and a multicultural character.

Australia has been beneficiary of one of the most successful migration programs in the world that, when it is managed well, brings tremendous economic benefits and helps entrench our position as a tolerant, pluralist society in line with the vision and values that Robert Menzies articulated so many years ago.

In a broader sense the Coalition is committed to listening to Australians, standing by our values, fixing our policies and fighting for everyday Australians.

As an opposition we will be constructive where we can and critical where we must.

We are out in the community listening because as a party we need to understand where Australians are at to ensure our policies meet their aspirations.

Our policies are under review, but our values are not.

We stand for individual freedom, reward for effort, limited government, and fighting for hard working Australians.