Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence. I refer the minister to an answer he gave on Lateline on 12 June when asked whether the ANZUS alliance commits Australia to support the United States if it is in a conflict in our region. The minister said, 'I do not believe it does.'

I also refer the minister to the Foreign Minister's statement about the ANZUS Treaty to the Canberra conference just four days later on 18 June where she said, 'At the heart of the treaty is a commitment to come to one another's AID in the worst of times.' Does the Defence Minister stand by his statement or is the Foreign Minister correct?