A senior minister in Anthony Albanese‘s government has been slammed for saying the US is not Australia’s most trusted security partner.
‘I’m not sure the United States is our most trusted ally,’ Trade Minister Don Farrell said on Monday in a response to a question from Liberal senator Claire Chandler.
‘I would have said our closest international ally is New Zealand,’ he said when talking about the Government’s decision to reinstate funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, despite US President Joe Biden not doing so.
When Mr Farrell’s response was met with laughter from Liberal and National party senators, he added ‘we are very close to the United States. I freely admit that’.
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham said: ‘It beggars belief that a cabinet minister in the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio would be so eager to talk down Australia’s partnership with the US.’
A senior minister in Anthony Albanese’s government has been slammed for saying the US is not Australia’s most trusted security partner. Mr Albanese is pictured with his partner Jodie Haydon
Labor senator Don Farrell said: ‘We are very close to the United States. I freely admit that.’ US President Joe Biden is pictured
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Labor MP Andrew Charlton (pictured with his barrister wife Phoebe Arcus) has bought a $12million holiday home
Mr Birmingham, who is the Opposition foreign affairs spokesman, pointed out that Mr Albanese had described the US as Australia’s ‘closest ally’ and ‘principal strategic partner’.
‘Senator Farrell’s statement is something I would expect from the Greens rather than a senior government minister,’ he said.
‘As much as we love our Kiwi cousins, it is the US who we are asking to share with us their most sensitive defence technologies.
‘Senator Farrell should correct the record and apologise to the US for his errant and disturbing remarks.’
Mr Farrell seemed to be stung by the ferocity of the response to his statement and later released a statement saying Mr Birmingham was ‘just playing juvenile political games’.
‘Everyone knows the Kiwis are family,’ he said.
‘Everyone also knows that (the) United States is our closest ally, trusted strategic partner and largest two-way investment partner.’
But Mr Birmingham kept up his attack on Tuesday morning, telling ABC radio he was surprised that Mr Farrell ‘wanted to rush so quickly when a phrase was used (by the Opposition) about the United States being our most trusted ally, to try to talk that down’.
He said under the Five Eyes (Australia, Canada, NZ, UK, US) arrangement, the United States shares its most sensitive intelligence with Australia.
Mr Farrell (pictured) seemed to be stung by the ferocity of the response to his statement and later released a statement saying Mr Birmingham was ‘just playing juvenile political games’
‘In the AUKUS partnership we are expecting the United States to share its most sensitive defence assets with us.’
Mr Birmingham said Australia puts ‘great trust’ in the US and expects it to trust Australia in return.
‘I would have thought that it was nothing but clear cut in terms of the US being our most trusted partner, because that’s the relationship we expect for our defence and security interests,’ he said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Farrell for further comment.
