‘It’s a deal between countries, not a deal between individuals’: PM Anthony Albanese says AUKUS agreement has support required to survive another Trump presidency

“It’s a deal between countries, not a deal between individuals.” The Prime Minister has backed the strength of the AUKUS agreement if Trump is re-elected.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the AUKUS agreement has the support required to survive a second Trump presidency, declaring “it’s a deal between countries, not a deal between individuals”.

Mr Albanese, Premier Peter Malinauskas and a host of industry leaders discussed their ideas for building a bigger, better South Australia at The Advertiser’s Future SA forum at SkyCity Adelaide on Friday.

In wide-ranging comments made during a speech and panel discussion, Mr Albanese said conversations around nuclear energy were “a distraction” and there was instead “certainty in investing in renewables”.

In pictures: Future SA business leaders forum

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Mr Malinauskas said Victoria’s policy of shutting off gas connections to new homes was a “bad idea” and confirmed South Australia would not follow suit.

Asked by moderator David Penberthy whether the AUKUS deal would be threatened by a second Trump presidency, Mr Albanese said support had already been shored up.

“I think that it’s beyond question now,” he said.

“It did take effort, it was essentially an idea without a plan.

“That plan is now in place. It enjoys bipartisan support here and it enjoys bipartisan support in the US.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Picture: Keryn Stevens

Mr Malinauskas said news this week that the US Navy was halving its planned submarine production next year demonstrated why the AUKUS agreement was so committed to a fourth submarine production line.

“That (US) announcement shouldn’t undermine people’s confidence in the program, only enhance it,” he said.

“What the US is essentially acknowledging is that they can’t produce submarines at a pace fast enough to be able to meet their own needs, let alone everybody else’s.

“This argument that we can simply go buy submarines from some other country to meet our strategic purposes is just not true.

“So if we want to have the capacity to protect ourselves in the form of submarines, we have to build them here.”

Mr Albanese said the perception of South Australia in the eastern states had changed “massively”, after he was asked about views that South Australia had once been the “handout state”.

“I think people look at this state and they look at the state and they look at the opportunity that’s there and the focus over the subs deal and shipbuilding here, the focus on renewables,” he said.

“South Australia was ahead of every other state in terms of the transition that is occurring.”

In his earlier speech to guests, he spoke about the role emerging industries would play in reversing the state’s brain drain.

“You will be better positioned in the future to have not just people stay here but people come here,” he said.

Bigger Better SA held at Skycity ballroom with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking. Picture: Keryn Stevens

He pointed out that South Australia punches “well above its weight” in cabinet representation at federal cabinet, naming Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell, Health Minister Mark Butler and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth.

“South Australia was always in a position to have a really strong voice around the cabinet table and around the parliament as well,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas agreed the submarine program had already been transformative for the state and its people.

“One of the announcements that the federal government made that, just on its own, completely changes the lives of over 1000 young South Australians every year is the 1200 additional university places that are now coming our way exclusively to be able to accommodate the engineering capability that’s going to be required in South Australia for the submarine program,” he said.

But he said the state will approach the naval shipbuilding exercise not with a sense of entitlement but a sense of ambition.

“Because it is the most complex industrial undertaking this country has ever sought to achieve,” he said.

To begin the panel, the leaders were challenged to a quiz to test their knowledge on each other’s city.

Mr Albanese was able to identify Adelaide Oval and a frog cake but stumbled on the names of crows and power mascots Claude Crow and Tommy Thunda.

Mr Malinauskas picked the Harbour Bridge and identified Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, in Woolloomooloo, as a Sydney pie cart but could not name NRL team South Sydney Rabbitohs mascot Reggie Rabbit.