Antinuclear

The Australian Government, especially Defence Minister Richard Marles, move to squash Labor Party dissent about AUKUS and nuclear submarines

2 Marles moves to douse ‘damaging’ Labor AUKUS dissentFinancial Review. Phillip Coorey, 17 Aug 23

The Albanese government will mount a strident defence of the AUKUS security pact and promise that it will create unionised jobs, while, at the same time, offer a raft of assurances as to what it will not do, as it takes control of a potentially damaging debate at Labor’s national conference.

Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy gave notice on Thursday that they would attach a 32-paragraph statement to Labor’s policy platform, ahead of an AUKUS debate on Friday. Party bosses are worried that a hostile affair could damage the government’s national security credentials……………………..

The Marles-Conroy statement supports the decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines through AUKUS without breaching Labor’s commitments or policy positions on broader nuclear issues, while also promising to create “well-paid, unionised jobs”.

The move was designed more to control the debate rather than crush it. As of late Thursday, the Electrical Trades Union intended to attach a motion to the statement demanding that the sole reference to AUKUS in Labor’s policy platform be removed.

………………….. Simultaneously, a push by rank-and-file members in NSW, with the backing of state Upper House MP Anthony D’Adam, to pass a motion condemning AUKUS on multiple fronts, was put to the sword and will not be debated.

Regional arms race

This motion contends that nuclear-powered submarines would “contribute to a regional arms race” and undermines Australia’s commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

It argues that AUKUS surrenders defence sovereignty to the United States and “increases the likelihood of our involvement in a disastrous US-led war in Asia”…………………………………………………..  https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/marles-moves-to-defuse-damaging-labor-aukus-debate-20230817-p5dx7g

August 18, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized