AUSTRALIAN ANTI-AUKUS COALITION (AAAC) MEDIA ALERT
Wednesday 22nd February 2023
On 24 February 2023, constituents across the country will be gathering at their federal MPs’ electorate offices to express their opposition to the AUKUS military pact and the Government’s misconceived plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear powered submarines.
The AAAC brings together peace, union, faith organisations plus ordinary Australians from across the country. The coalition was formed following the September 2021 shock announcement of the formation of AUKUS.
AUKUS, a secretly negotiated agreement between US, UK and Australia for the sharing and transferring of military technology, involves, arguably, the most offensive and provocative strategic program Australia has yet embarked on. It risks taking our nation to a place no Australian would want us to be – trapped not only in a spiral of global weapons development, but positioned in the very forefront of super power confrontation.
Initiated by the Australian Anti-Aukus Coalition (AAAC), these protests will be held at the offices of Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister; Richard Marles, Minister for Defence; Senator Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy; Jim Chalmers, Treasurer; Matt Keogh, Minister for Veteran Affairs & Defence Personnel and Senator Kate Gallagher, Minister for Finance, Women and Public Service.
Timing of this initiative is significant. The release of four government reports is imminent: the Nuclear Submarine Taskforce Report, the Defence Strategic Review 2023-33, and reports of two parliamentary enquiries, the ‘war powers’ enquiry and the enquiry into the Removal of the Nuclear Energy Prohibition Bill. If Government decides on these reports in line with its current policies, the objectives of the AUKUS pact will be expedited and our nation will be taken deeper into the quagmire of military allegiance to the US, exorbitant defence budgets and arms races in unregulated, futuristic war-fighting technologies.
Through its current national security strategies, the Government is compromising its primary responsibility to protect its people from war and its legal and moral obligations to preserve regional and world peace.
We are demanding that the Government, at the very least, delay its decisions on these four reports and declare a moratorium on Australia’s AUKUS partnership to enable the instigation of a full disclosure to parliament and public of the decision-making process that established AUKUS and referral of the pact to parliament for enquiry and public debate.
Secondly, we are asking Government to acknowledge that AUKUS, the offensive nature of Australia’s military strategy and the proposal to reverse our country’s long-held ban on acquiring nuclear energy have serious regional and international ramifications. We contend it is not too late for Australia to consult with our regional neighbours and relevant international bodies about the dangers of the AUKUS pact and the militaristic path down which AUKUS and current strategy are taking the nation.
For more information contact: Nick Deane Sydney AAAC representative and IPAN CC member
Ph: 0420526929