David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

In just two weeks in power, Donald Trump has already threatened to invade Greenland and Panama, created a global trade war, celebrated and emboldened the far right, empowered billionaires and abolished US aid. Instead of distancing ourselves from the US, Labor and the coalition are in lockstep, trying to handcuff us to them. Donald Trump's bizarre threats to use military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland should have been a red line. Instead, when the Minister for Defence was asked if Australia would join an invasion, he said he looked forward to working with the US. He congratulated Trump and he waffled. He couldn't bring himself to say, 'We would never join a US invasion of Panama or Greenland.' So, if Canada keeps pushing back on Trump's tariffs, will we join the US in invading them too? Surely, saying we won't join the US in its next illegal war is the bare minimum we can expect from this government.

After following the US into Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, this lot can't even rule out an invasion of Greenland. Instead, the Albanese government wants to be Trump's little loyal puppy, because they want AUKUS; they want a handful of nuclear submarines. And they're even more desperate to avoid a fight with the coalition. It makes one thing very, very clear: AUKUS has nothing to do with keeping Australia safe and everything to do with being a loyal, unthinking servant of the United States.