Key events
Asked about recommendations from the Islamophobia envoy, specifically about calls for some kind of sanction on MPs who make racist statements, Marles says “we are going to go through the process of responding to this report”.
It is a very significant report with 54 recommendations so he we are going to give it the respect that it deserve of and take the time to go through it. Let me be clear: The Parliament should not be a place for people to be making racist statements.
Asked directly whether there should be some form of sanction for politicians who say something racist, Marles says:
The way in which this is described it in terms of how parties govern themselves, and from the Labor Party’s point of view, we have a zero-tolerance approach to racism being spoken about from any of our members. It is utterly unacceptable and no-one speaks in those terms.
We welcome the report that has been done by Mr Malik. It is a really important body of work. We are going to review it and give it the attention that it deserve of, but dealing with Islamophobia in this country is something, which as Mr Malik has said, has become intensified particularly after the last couple of decades, after September 11.
It is something we need to deal with and it is part of the ongoing work of our nation.
And that’s a wrap.
Marles is asked about statements from his PNG counterpart about what may or may not be in the agreement, including more integration between PNG and Australian defences forces, and specifically whether there has been any confusion.
I’m very pleased to see the excitement that Billy is bringing to this and it does, to be honest, reflect the way in which we have been going about this agreement since the moment that he and I first met to do this refresh back in January this year and it has turned into something much more than a refresh.
It is a really significant agreement that we will be signing, but it does reflect the fact, David, that we are doing so many more exercises together, so many more operations together. We are really working hand in glove as two defence forces and I think this is profoundly important.
We’ve made no secret of the fact that we’ve got an eye to recruiting out of PNG into the Defence Force.
Marles did not provide more details about how this arrangement may work when prompted but compared this to similar deals with New Zealand as a Five Eyes country.
The Deputy PM would also not be drawn on whether the deal will place any restriction on PNG’s dealings with China.
I think what you can take, though, is that this is a really important statement from Papua New Guinea and indeed from Australia, to each other, and I think this is Papua New Guinea making it really clear that traditional partners and they’ve talked about this a lot, the traditional partners is where they look to in terms of their security, and from an Australian point of view, PNG is obviously on our northern flank.
It really matters that we have the very best relationship that we can have with PNG in a security sense, and I’m really excited about the fact that this agreement is going to give expression to that.
On the upcoming defence agreement Australia is expected to sign with Papua New Guinea, Marles says the security arrangement between the two countries was due for a “refresh”.
We’re doing so much more with PNG now. I think it is fair to say that as we’ve walked down that path over the course of the last few months, and we’ve been doing it with a view to signing this agreement in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of PNG’s independence, it is fair to say a lot more ambition has been brought to this agreement and we are really excited about the agreement that we will be signing in the next few days.
It certainly will transform the defence relationship between Australia and PNG, but beyond that, if you look at the various defence agreements we have with countries around the world, actually, it is hugely significant in that context.
Asked about whether the agreement will have its own version of Nato’s Article Four that triggers involvement of one country if the other comes under threat, Marles says he is “not about to pre-empt what is going to be signed”.
The Prime Minister will be signing this in the next few days, so I will let the Prime Minister make those announcements and you will see them shortly enough.
The agreement is expected to be signed on Monday.
Marles says that he has been “speaking to my American counterparts since the moment Donald Trump was inaugurated”.
Literally I was there with my counterpart Pete Hegseth and in the all conversations there has been an enormous amount of positivity about the role that that can play for the United States – it is clearly important for us, but for the United States.
Yes, they are having a review into Aukus, something that we welcome. It is an opportunity to work out how we can do Aukus better. That’s exactly what Britain did, when this government came to government last year.
Marles said he would not discuss the content of his conversations with the Trump administration but said “the Americans have actually be very good with us in terms of taking us through the process of how this review will be undertaken and also how we can contribute and we will.”
The Deputy Prime Minister also confirmed that Australia will refer to Trump administration officials by the titles they are given. This means Australia will formally refer to Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of the Department of War.
Marles says the overhaul of Australian shipyards needed to accomodate nuclear submarines under the Aukus deal with the US and UK, will cost in the region of $25bn. By comparison the $12bn the government has announced functions as a “very significant chunk” f that amount, Marles says.
Asked whether the drydocks that will be built as part of this program will allow for US nuclear submarines to use them, Marles said that these facilities are “soveriegn capability” and is n“is ultimately a matter for them” but as an “Aukus facility” being built “in the context of the optimal pathway for us acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine capability.
In that context I would expect that in the future this would be available to the US.
Marles says that there are currently 150 Australian workers at Pearl Harbour working on the construction of US Virginia Class submarines as part of an effort to build domestic capability for maintaining the vessels in Australia.
By the end of this year, that number will go to 200. That is a significant number in American terms. We are building a cohort here who will be able to work on nuclear-powered submarines, including American nuclear-powered submarines, and that is of enormous advantage in terms of getting more US Virginia class submarines out to sea for the US Navy.
The Australian government is spending an additional $70bn on defence spending compared to the previous government, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says.
Marles was asked about demands by the Trump administration that countries, including Australia, lift defence spending as a percentage of GDP.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who also holds the defence portfolio, says the government does not think about defence policy in terms of percentage of GDP as the figure will change depending on how the number is calculated.
For example, Marles says, using accounting methods adopted by NATO countries, Australian defence spending is at 2.8% of GDP.
The important point is this: When you include what we are spending here, it is the better part, relative to what we inherited when we came to government back in 2022, of an additional $70 billion of defence spending over the decade and what that represents is the biggest peace time increase in our defence spending in Australia’s history.
So it is a hugely significant amount of that we have been putting into defence since we’ve come to government, and this is all about focusing on the way we do things, with I is to look at what our strategic challenge is, what sort of Defence Force we need to build in order to meet that and then resourcing it.
Government sinks defence billions into ships and subs
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is to announce $12bn for a defence precinct to bolster Australia’s naval shipbuilding and submarine capabilities.
Australia’s naval shipbuilding and submarine capabilities are to receive a $12bn boost.
Albanese is set to confirm the mammoth investment along with his deputy, Richard Marles, the defence personnel minister, Matt Keogh, and Western Australia’s premier, Roger Cook, in WA on Sunday.
The money will go towards the delivery of a defence precinct within the maritime hub on Cockburn Sound in Perth’s south.
The design of the Henderson facility will aim to deliver continuous shipbuilding and reinforce Australia’s Aukus capacity.
Albanese is expected to outline expectations the precinct will support 10,000 direct jobs over the next two decades and provide opportunities for small and medium WA businesses. He will say:
Today’s investment is another way we are delivering record defence funding to bolster Australia’s capabilities.
There is no greater honour than serving our country in our nation’s uniform and my government is dedicated to investing in the defence capabilities our nation requires.
The $12bn will in fact amount to a down payment for Henderson, with independent planning and advice indicating it will consume about $25bn over the decade.
– AAP
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Government investment in shipbuilding ‘long time coming’: Coalition
The shadow health minister, Anne Ruston, has welcomed the government’s $12bn shipbuilding announcement, telling Sky News: “It’s been a long time coming.”
With that out of the way, attention turns to the story that has dominated the week in federal politics – Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s axing from the shadow ministry for refusing to apologise for her Indian migrant comments or express confidence in Sussan Ley’s leadership.
Ruston – a close ally of Ley’s – said the leader’s decision to dump Price was “absolutely appropriate”.
She acted quickly and decisively and I think the message that she’s sending to Australians is that she’s a strong leader, and it’s time to get on the jobs that we we’re elected to do.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Marles remains confident Trump administration won’t sink Aukus
The deputy PM and defence minister, Richard Marles, is speaking on Sky News from Perth ahead of the announcement of a $12bn investment in a Western Australian defence precinct linked to the Aukus submarine project.
The Henderson defence precinct – expected to cost $25bn over the decade – will be used to build surface vessels and to dock and sustain submarines, including those to be delivered under the Aukus agreement.
The timing of the announcement is notable given the US is currently reviewing the submarine pact and has made no secret of the fact it wants Australia to raise defence spending to about 3.5% of GDP.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is also hoping to secure a first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump when he travels to the US later this month.
On Saturday (Australian time), the Washington Post reported the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had recently assured Marles that the Trump administration would not sink the Aukus deal.
Asked if he could confirm that report, Marles said:
Well, I’ve had numerous conversations with American counterparts, really, since the inauguration of the Trump administration, where there’s been really positive statements made about Aukus. So if you’ve asked me questions about this, as have many others, and I’ve said all along that I’m really confident about the proceeding of Aukus under the Trump administration.
Marles said he was aware when the Pentagon’s Aukus review would be finalised but said it wasn’t his place to reveal those details.
Asked about the prospect of an Albanese-Trump meeting, possibly on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Marles said:
I’m sure that at some point in the not too soon future, you’re going to see a meeting between two leaders
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, will be appearing on ABC Insiders host this morning.
Marles is doing the rounds this morning with an earlier appearance on Sky News, followed by the Coalition’s Anne Ruston.
We will bring you the latest as it happens.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
Australia and Papua New Guinea are expected to sign a defence agreement as the country’s northern neighbour marks half a century of independence. The treaty is part of Canberra’s efforts to bolster its security presence in the region in response to geopolitical competitions with China and would see coordination between the militaries of both countries.
Supermarket chain Aldi will sell solar panel and battery packages, making it the latest big box retail store to cash in on the renewables boom. The move means Aldi follows Bunnings and Ikea, which have announced the development of their own solar installation arms.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
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