Campaign planning & activities
Boorloo/Perth & Walyalup/Fremantle
When
7:00pm Tuesday 25 July
Where
The Local Hotel
282 South Tce
South Fremantle WA 6162
AustraliaWhy
The AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, United States) is a security pact under which the US and UK will assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. It was announced by Scott Morrison on 15 September 2021 and replaced the submarine-building agreement Australia had with France - Macron’s famous “I don’t think, I know” encapsulated French fury about the decision.
From the start, AUKUS has enjoyed strong bipartisan political support, as Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese very quickly endorsed the plan. However, it has been contested by high profile former Labor leaders such as Paul Keating and Bob Carr and there are rumblings of discontent in some Labor branches and
community groups.
community groups.
The agreement comes in response to rising fears about China. It binds us ever more firmly into cooperation with the US alliance on defence and foreign policy. The US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy called the pact a "greater and deeper partnership between the countries" that would provide "deterrence in the Indo-Pacific."
But with the program forecast to cost $268bn to $368bn between now and the mid 2050, AUKUS is by far our most expensive defence deal ever. Indeed, it is so expensive that it overshadows all other discussions about budgeting and cost that we can have as a country.
The pact also raises important questions about what constitutes security, our relationships with the USA, with China, with our other Asian neighbours – and much more. So let's talk about it!
On Tuesday July 25th ,The Fremantle Network invites you to join us at The Local Hotel to discuss this extremely important issue.
Featuring:
- Sam Wainwright, Fremantle petitioner for Stop AUKUS WA’s campaign for a Nuke Free Cockburn Sound, journalist for Green Left Weekly, and activist.
- Sam Wainwright, Fremantle petitioner for Stop AUKUS WA’s campaign for a Nuke Free Cockburn Sound, journalist for Green Left Weekly, and activist.
- Mark Beeson, Adjunct Professor at the Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney. Author of more than 200 journal articles and the founding editor of Critical Studies of the Asia Pacific (Palgrave)
- We are currently in conversation with several people for the third spot. Stay tuned! Suggestions welcome!
Our MC is Professor Martin Drum, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, Law and Business at NDU.