Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
Defence Minister Peter Dutton says he would like to see more American combat capability based in Australia.
Speaking on the “Politics with Michelle Grattan” podcast, Dutton says: “I’d be very open to it. I would be very, very happy to have that discussion with the US if they saw a strategic advantage in doing so.”
He says there is significant visiting by US airforce, navy and army forces (together with the current marine rotation). “And if that is accompanied by, or there’s a subsequent decision to base further numbers, we’d be very happy to have that discussion with the US – or with the UK, for that matter.”
Last September’s AUSMIN talks committed “to significantly advance Australia-United States force posture cooperation”.
Dutton also reiterates he’s working on the acceleration of the timetable for the nuclear-powered submarines, a centrepiece of last year’s AUKUS agreement between Australia, the US and Britain. “I can assure you, the 20 year timeline is nonsense. I believe that we will be able to acquire well before that”.
Discussions with the US and UK have been “very productive” and “I’ll have more to say on that in due course once the discussions continue”.
“Everything [is] on the table with the US and the UK at the moment, and we will achieve capability well ahead of what the critics are pointing out at the moment.”
“I’ve been driving the process, receiving weekly updates, engaging with our counterparts. And this has momentum. It has buy-in from the US and the UK. It has an urgency because of the way in which the Chinese government is positioning in the Indo-Pacific”.
Asked about criticism that his language on China is too belligerent, Dutton says, “I do believe that China is on a pathway of aggression, particularly toward Taiwan, and I want to be part of what I think is a majority view around the world to stop that from taking place.
"I want China to continue to grow economically. I want to see people lifted out of poverty, but I don’t want to see a clash, particularly between great powers. And I think again, we’re better off to be frank in our assessments and to argue from a position of strength, not weakness, because otherwise, we will find ourselves in conflict in the Indo-Pacific, and that’s not what anybody wants.”
Dutton doesn’t step back from his description of Russian President Vladimir Putin as an ageing dictator who is becoming more and more irrational.
“People only need to look at his track record and concerning human rights abuses in Russia. There’s no sense when we’re dealing with a bully of any nature, believing that if we just close our ears and our mouth, that somehow the bully will become a good person.”
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anne Summers says we need much more information on male perpetrators of violence against women
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Economist Chris Richardson on recent economic data and whats in store for the upcoming budget
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Independent MP Dai Le on the church attack in her electorate
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Burns on being a Jewish MP during a terrible conflict
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Andrew Leigh on competition - economic and political
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Kim Beazley on Kevin Rudd, being an ambassador, and a possible second Trump presidency
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Cyber expert Lesley Seebeck on TikTok’s future in Australia
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Masculinity expert Michael Flood on boys and men behaving badly
Politics with Michelle Grattan: John Blaxland on spies, AUKUS, and an unsettled Washington
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jason Clare on the future of education in Australia
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Antony Green, Kos Samaras and Tim Costello on Dunkley contest
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Assistant minister Malarndirri McCarthy says there's 'no rush' on treaty and truth-telling
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chris Bowen on fuel efficiency standards and the energy transition
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Angus Taylor on tax and the economy
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers says Australians will be better off next year
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Bill Shorten on making the NDIS fit for purpose
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chris Bowen’s struggle to promote consensus on climate action at COP28
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Greens Barbara Pocock on the quest for greater transparency
Politics with Michelle Grattan: James Paterson on the High Court’s decision on detention and rising anti-Semitism
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Former climate minister Greg Combet on Australia’s mission to reach net-zero
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free