Greens leader Adam Bandt has doubled down on his criticism of the AUKUS military alliance, calling for Australia to rethink its relationship with the United States, particularly under the influence of Donald Trump. Speaking at the National Press Club today, Bandt argued that the AUKUS deal isn’t about defending Australia, but about aligning with Trump’s next war.
“Now is precisely the wrong time for Australia to be joined at the hip to Donald Trump,” Bandt said, per The Guardian.
“Not only are these AUKUS submarines never going to arrive – because they’re not building them fast enough, and the US government has said they don’t consider giving them to Australia as a priority – but … they’re not about defending our country, they’re about joining Donald Trump in his next attack that he wants to make on someone else.”
Bandt made it clear that Australia’s defence strategy should prioritise protecting its own interests rather than being tied to Trump’s foreign policy ambitions.
The Greens have long opposed the $368 billion nuclear submarine deal, and Bandt has consistently called for Australia to step away from AUKUS. In a March interview with the ABC, he described the pact as a dangerous move that puts Australia at risk.
“We should get out of AUKUS; now is not the time to be hitching Australia’s wagon to Donald Trump – it puts Australia at risk, and it is billions of dollars being spent on submarines that might never arrive,” he said.
Bandt also criticised the broader implications of relying on Trump’s leadership in a security crisis. “One of the things [AUKUS] does do is paint a very big Trump-shaped target on Australia’s back, and now is precisely the wrong time for that,” he told ABC Insiders.
His comments reflect growing concerns among Australians who are wary of deepening ties with the US under Trump’s influence. “There are millions of us across this country right now who do not want Australia to go down the US route,” Bandt said today, per The Guardian.
“Who want to detach ourselves from Donald Trump and to look after us in this country.”
He went on to say, “We’re watching the world being burned down by powerful men — we just didn’t know they would be such losers,” he said.
This sentiment underscores Bandt’s broader critique of global power structures dominated by figures like Trump, who he described as a “very dangerous man”. For Bandt, AUKUS represents more than just a defence deal — it symbolises a deeper entanglement with a volatile leader whose priorities don’t align with Australia’s best interests.
What do the other candidates think about AUKUS?
While Bandt has been vocal in his opposition to AUKUS, other political leaders have taken different stances. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor remain firmly committed to the deal, arguing that it strengthens national security and bolsters alliances in an increasingly tense Indo-Pacific region. Despite criticism from former leaders like Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull, Labor has continued to invest heavily in the project, recently allocating billions more towards it.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also thrown his full support behind AUKUS, framing it as essential for protecting Australia from potential threats. Dutton has pledged to repair any strains in relations with Washington and ensure that the partnership remains strong under a Coalition government.
As election season approaches and minority government scenarios loom large, Bandt’s opposition to AUKUS could become a key issue in negotiations if Labor falls short of a majority.
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