Key facts
- Labor Against War, a grassroots group, is calling for Australia to distance itself from the US military.
- The group cited data indicating US control or access to over 100 military facilities across Australia.
- They argue Australia has been led into "wars of aggression" by the US for over 50 years.
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong defended the US alliance, asserting it bolsters Australian sovereignty and deters conflict.
- Defense Minister Richard Marles recently agreed with the US Secretary of Defense to increase military cooperation and presence in Australia.
A grassroots labor group, Labor Against War, has urged the Australian government to chart a foreign policy independent of the United States military, arguing that the US has led Australia into "wars of aggression" for over 50 years. The group's call follows data published by The Guardian, indicating that the US military and American defense corporations control or have access to more than 100 facilities across Australia. This includes 17 facilities directly controlled by the US military, access to 75 additional Australian-run bases, and access to 18 more facilities by US defense corporations.
Marcus Strom, national convener of Labor Against War, expressed alarm over the "latticework of US bases and facilities" and called for the Albanese government to abandon the Aukus nuclear submarine agreement as a first step toward independence. In the Senate, Greens senator David Shoebridge questioned Foreign Minister Penny Wong about Australia's involvement in potential US conflicts, citing fears that Australian bases could become targets. Wong defended the US alliance, stating it contributes to Australian sovereignty and deters conflict, and that military presence is "at Australia's invitation" and "under Australian command."
However, Shoebridge challenged Wong to provide an instance where Australia had refused US access to a military base. Documents leaked by Edward Snowden revealed that the chief of the Pine Gap facility is always American, reporting directly to the US National Reconnaissance Office, while former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne described Pine Gap as "more American than Australian." Numerous other bases, such as the GPS monitoring station at RAAF Edinburgh and the Learmonth solar observatory, are reportedly controlled by the US. Meanwhile, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles recently met with the US Secretary of Defense, agreeing to accelerate force posture initiatives and bolster cooperation, with Marles noting that "American force posture is growing in Australia" to provide deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific.