Former prime minister Paul Keating slams Defence Minister Richard Marles for ‘careless betrayal' over US-China war comments
Former prime minister Paul Keating has launched a scathing attack on Defence Minister Richard Marles, accusing him of surrendering Australia's foreign policy independence.
Mr Marles declared at a summit on Monday that Australia could play a role in any future war between the United States and China.
In a blistering critique published in The Australian, Mr Keating described Mr Marles' comments as a 'careless betrayal of the country's policy agency'.
He also said Mr Marles' stance on Australian involvement in a US-China conflict would 'go down as a dark moment in Australia's history'.
'China's singular crime is to have built an economy larger than the United States,' Mr Keating said.
'This is the affront which the United States cannot bear… Now, the US is running about trying to sweep gullible allies into its declining and failing pitch.
'Yet, it believes there is always a mug who will buy its venal view of affairs. And in Australia, the United States is not disappointed.'
During The Australian's Defending Australia summit on Monday, the Defence Minister said Australia would play a key role in a war between China and the US.
He also expressed a belief that Australia would not be under threat of invasion, but that 'sea lines of communication' may be compromised in any conflict.
'Australia's geography today is more relevant to great power contest than it has been at any point since the end of the Second World War,' he said.
Asked about Australia's potential to play a role in a potential war on Thursday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong did not rule it out.
'The focus of everything we do is to prevent conflict,' she told reporters at a press conference at Parliament House.
'The focus of everything that we do, both in hard deterrence, also in reassurance, and the work we do, and I lead in the region, is to prevent conflict and to preserve peace.'
Ms Wong also did not rule out the possibility of Australian involvement in the Middle East conflict.
'We're not a central player in the Middle East,' she said in response to questions about moving defence assets to the Middle East.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Former Royal Australian Navy submariners take the plunge with local craft beer brand Deep Elite Brewing
After working underwater for more than a decade in submarines as part of the Royal Australian Navy, Brydon Maslin and Ryan Wilson are now the crew behind local craft beer brand, Deep Elite Brewing. By coincidence, the Adelaide-born brewers both joined the navy on March 10, 2008 but didn't cross paths until they joined the submarine force in Perth. They worked as marine technicians with the Australian fleet around the world, before settling in WA. Both dabbled in home brewing, before deciding to make beer together and joining local ale enthusiasts club West Coast Brewers. The duo started with basic plastic fermenters before transitioning to a stainless steel brewkit. Not one to do things by half, Mr Maslin soon had 14 taps of beer in his back shed so he could host parties, such as birthdays and Oktoberfest celebrations. They even handed out feedback forms so their mates could share their thoughts on the amateur brews. Mr Maslin jokes that the forms equated to research and development, making those early beers tax deductable. Deep Elite's campaign took what Mr Wilson calls a significant turn when they bought a single canning machine and hand-labeller to make beers for friends and family. 'Their encouragement led us to explore the idea of starting our own brewery,' he said. 'Deep Elite Brewing was born, inspired by our submarine background.' The former submariners secured a wholesale license to brew commercially and began contract brewing at Heroes and Villains, Bright Tank, Limestone Coast and Spinifex Brewery, where Mr Maslin is head brewer and Mr Wilson works on the production line. Their first official release as Deep Elite was a cherry sour, brewed at 3 Rivers Brewery in Mandurah and inspired by Mr Maslin's wife's German heritage. The 38-year-old confessed that he didn't drink beer until he travelled to the Black Forest and one of her relatives told him he'd better learn to love the national beverage. Today, Deep Elite is owned by Maslin and Wilson alongside Lee Tough and non-executive director Alan Donovan. Most investors in the brewery are former submariners, who also turn up to help on canning days when it's all hands on deck. Mr Maslin said their navy background has also helped them launch the nascent brand, as they often supply beers to veterans events. Often featuring seafaring puns and references, Deep Elite beers can be found in around 40 shops and a handful of pubs. Their Xtra Sticky Boy Hazy IPA featuring Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired can art earned high praise at the recent Beer and BBQ Festival in Adelaide. A Deep Elite venue is on the distant horizon, explained Mr Maslin, who is more focused on making the next beer — The Hunt for Red Hoptober, a tribute to the 1990 spy thriller starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Submariners take the plunge with new local craft beer brand
After working underwater for more than a decade in submarines as part of the Royal Australian Navy, Brydon Maslin and Ryan Wilson are now the crew behind local craft beer brand, Deep Elite Brewing. By coincidence, the Adelaide-born brewers both joined the navy on March 10, 2008 but didn't cross paths until they joined the submarine force in Perth. They worked as marine technicians with the Australian fleet around the world, before settling in WA. Both dabbled in home brewing, before deciding to make beer together and joining local ale enthusiasts club West Coast Brewers. The duo started with basic plastic fermenters before transitioning to a stainless steel brewkit. Not one to do things by half, Mr Maslin soon had 14 taps of beer in his back shed so he could host parties, such as birthdays and Oktoberfest celebrations. Former Royal Australian Navy submariners Brydon Maslin and Ryan Wilson brew Deep Elite beers at Spinifix Brewing in Stake Hill. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian They even handed out feedback forms so their mates could share their thoughts on the amateur brews. Mr Maslin jokes that the forms equated to research and development, making those early beers tax deductable. Deep Elite's campaign took what Mr Wilson calls a significant turn when they bought a single canning machine and hand-labeller to make beers for friends and family. 'Their encouragement led us to explore the idea of starting our own brewery,' he said. 'Deep Elite Brewing was born, inspired by our submarine background.' The former submariners secured a wholesale license to brew commercially and began contract brewing at Heroes and Villains, Bright Tank, Limestone Coast and Spinifex Brewery, where Mr Maslin is head brewer and Mr Wilson works on the production line. Deep Elite Brewing has collaborated on beers with Wedgetail Brewing, Hogg Culture, Spinifex and other local breweries gaining friends and experience along the way. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian Their first official release as Deep Elite was a cherry sour, brewed at 3 Rivers Brewery in Mandurah and inspired by Mr Maslin's wife's German heritage. The 38-year-old confessed that he didn't drink beer until he travelled to the Black Forest and one of her relatives told him he'd better learn to love the national beverage. Today, Deep Elite is owned by Maslin and Wilson alongside Lee Tough and non-executive director Alan Donovan. Most investors in the brewery are former submariners, who also turn up to help on canning days when it's all hands on deck. Deep Elite's Brydon Maslin and Ryan Wilson earned praise at the Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival for their triple dry-hopped Xtra Sticky Boy Hazy IPA. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian Mr Maslin said their navy background has also helped them launch the nascent brand, as they often supply beers to veterans events. Often featuring seafaring puns and references, Deep Elite beers can be found in around 40 shops and a handful of pubs. Their Xtra Sticky Boy Hazy IPA featuring Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired can art earned high praise at the recent Beer and BBQ Festival in Adelaide. A Deep Elite venue is on the distant horizon, explained Mr Maslin, who is more focused on making the next beer — The Hunt for Red Hoptober, a tribute to the 1990 spy thriller starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Friends united by concern for family in Iran and Israel
Conflict in the Middle East is thousands of kilometres away from the desks of Saina Salemi and her colleague Oscar, but the pair constantly discuss blasts and evacuation warnings. Ms Salemi hasn't spoken to her family in Iran for more than three days due to a nation-wide internet blackout, while Oscar - who asked that his surname not be used - has no idea when he'll next see his parents who are trapped in Israel. "My helplessness would have been made worse had someone like Oscar not been here. There's only so many people in your life that can truly understand a situation like this," Ms Salemi told AAP. Israel and Iran have been trading strikes since the Israeli military began its attack a week ago in a bid to wipe out Iran's nuclear program, but geopolitical tensions are not dividing the two friends from Melbourne. "Despite what these countries are putting each other through, the fact that it hasn't got between us even for a millisecond, I feel very touched," Oscar said. The pair are consumed by worry for their families and appalled by the scale of human suffering in countries they remember fondly from holidays. "I said to Ocar, I feel like I'm going crazy, because everybody around me is moving so normally and is going about their day-to-day lives, and I'm just watching a 24/7 live blog all the time," Ms Salemi said. "The Iranian diaspora, we are really tired of people being used as collateral damage." She's angry her family in Tehran have no bomb shelter to go to and worried about what could happen to her elderly grandparents after Donald Trump warned some 10 million people in Iran's capital to evacuate. The president said he will make a decision about whether the US joins the conflict within two weeks, demanding Iran's unconditional surrender. However, Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the conflict. "I texted my cousin last night telling him I loved him and there's a great numbness that comes with feeling like you're saying 'I love you' to someone for the last time," Ms Salemi said. "I'm yet to hear back from that text message." More than 2000 Australians have registered for assistance to leave Iran and more than 1200 have registered to leave Israel, with Australian military personnel and aircraft being deployed to help. Oscar's parents have barely left their bomb shelter since the conflict flared and he doesn't know how they'll come home, after receiving a warning they may not be safe at Jordan's land border crossing. "I really feel for my parents, I feel for everyone in Tehran, in Gaza, in Tel Aviv," Oscar said. "None of them deserve it, it's exhausting." He's grateful to have grown up in Australia where he and Ms Salemi can lean on each other for support. "I do think that there's something really special about this country where you can have this kind of friendship," he said. "I hope most Australians don't have to understand what it's like having family in these kinds of circumstances." Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people and wounded more than 1300 others, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Israel says Iran's retaliatory strikes killed at least 24 people and wounded hundreds.
