The Federal Government has staved off an internal rebellion on the AUKUS defence deal. Delegates at Labor’s national conference attempted to have any mention of nuclear-powered submarines struck from the party platform.
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00:00 The second day of Labor's National Conference has wrapped up and there was a little bit
00:05 more argy-bargy today on the issue of AUKUS, a long-awaited flashpoint months ahead of
00:12 this conference.
00:13 This is the deal done with the United States and United Kingdom, a defence pact for future
00:19 generations in particular a decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and that has sat
00:25 uncomfortably within Labor ranks.
00:27 We saw in the months leading up to this conference a number of local Labor branches moving to
00:32 oppose AUKUS, some unions it sits uncomfortably with who have long-standing anti-nuclear positions
00:40 and some high-profile opponents of AUKUS, in particular former Prime Minister Paul Keating
00:46 who said it was one of the worst defence deals, one of the worst national security deals Labor
00:50 had done since conscription.
00:53 Well it was debated today on the conference floor and the government faced a motion from
00:58 some of those opponents to AUKUS to have any references of nuclear-powered submarines scratched
01:05 from Labor's draft platform.
01:08 That would not necessarily change the government's policy but it would prevent the nuclear decision
01:14 being locked into Labor's policy in the future.
01:17 This was what unions wanted, saying it shouldn't be committed to so early, this is a debate
01:22 that will affect generations and we should take the time to have it.
01:26 Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was quick to his feet in defence of the government saying
01:31 that this is something Australia needs, it is a deterrent to war and that the only deterrent
01:36 to war is strength rather than, in his words, appeasement.
01:40 That was quickly returned by Josh Wilson, a Labor backbencher and one of the only Labor
01:45 MPs to break ranks on the issue of AUKUS.
01:49 He said to delegates at the conference, he's not convinced that AUKUS is what we need.
01:56 As it has been rightly said and as we should always remember, to a person with a hammer,
02:02 every problem looks like a nail.
02:05 Deterrence is a valid strategic concept and submarines certainly have a deterrent value
02:10 but deterrence is not a one-word justification for any and every defence acquisition and
02:16 anyone who thinks the intention to extend the scope of one's threat capacity only serves
02:22 to reduce the potential for conflict has not looked very closely at the history of conflict.
02:29 And Jake, the Prime Minister promised to speak ahead of today's debate, what did he have
02:32 to say?
02:33 Yes, well Lorna, most issues at the conference met with furious agreement, any issues hashed
02:40 out behind the scenes ahead of the debates.
02:43 But the Prime Minister made a rare intervention, in fact the only intervention he's made into
02:47 a debate so far at this conference, which gives you a sense of the tensions surrounding
02:53 the nuclear-powered submarine issue.
02:56 He in 2018 was the member who was moving to have nuclear treaty bans included in Labor's
03:03 platform and so he has a long-standing position on the other side of the aisle on this issue
03:09 typically but he said he's become convinced that nuclear-powered vessels are what Australia
03:13 needs, that Australia is an island nation and if you believe it needs a submarine defence
03:18 these are the only answer.
03:20 Here's a little of what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told delegates earlier.
03:25 Australia has a proud record of leadership in the international nuclear non-proliferation
03:31 regime.
03:33 Australia and our AUKUS partners are committed to setting the highest nuclear non-proliferation
03:40 standard for Australia's acquisition of subs in continued close cooperation with the
03:47 International Atomic Energy Agency.
03:50 These are the choices of a mature nation, a nation that understands that a bright future
03:57 calls for more than sunny optimism.
04:02 That's the strategic complexity that we face is far removed from the bleak certainties
04:10 of the Cold War.
04:13 We have to analyse the world as it is rather than as we would want it to be.
04:19 We have to bring our defence capabilities up to speed and AUKUS is central to that.
04:27 Well it might not surprise you to hear Lorna that the government comfortably succeeded
04:32 in warding off this attempt to have nuclear vessels struck from the platform but seeking
04:38 to reassure the Labor faithful they moved to recommit to their non-nuclear commitments
04:45 including the UN treaty ban on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, something that as I mentioned
04:54 the Prime Minister moved when he was in opposition in 2018 but the government has not yet signed
04:59 and ratified.
05:01 Still this isn't an issue that is going to go away for Labor.
05:04 The new group Labor Against War, an internal action group within Labor, has said this is
05:09 the start of the campaign for them and one that they'll continue to wage over the years
05:13 and potentially decades to come on AUKUS.
05:16 Still the government is counting today as a win saying that Labor has resoundingly
05:21 supported its AUKUS decision.
05:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]