The U.S. wanted Labor to report on the AUKUS deal earlier; Scott Morrison, Anthony Albanese continue campaigns across the country

The Biden administration has insisted from the outset that it will consider a landmark AUKUS project only if it has solid support from both major Australian political parties, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison has decided not to consult with Labor until before its announcement.

Representatives of the White House stressed this point as a violator of the deal in the very first discussion of Australia’s request for nuclear submarines. The AUKUS security agreement between Australia, the US and the UK was signed in September.

The prime minister has sent a special envoy, Australian intelligence chief Andrew Shearer, to address the issue with two senior officials, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Indo-Pacific White House Coordinator Kurt Camp last year.

“We asked a lot of questions about politics,” Campbell said in an interview. “Will it be controversial? Will it last? ”

Loading

A prerequisite was the bipartisan political commitment of Labor and Liberals, Americans said.

“It would be a military marriage. That should have been the case for decades. “

Asked why he decided not to consult with Labor on AUKUS until the last minute, Morrison said Sydney Morning Herald and Age“I believed that the Labor Party would support this.” He was proven right.

Morrison and officials briefed Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Labor leaders the day before the scheduled announcement.