Correct defence posture could have averted Trump snub

There is no getting around the proposition that Donald Trump snubbed Anthony Albanese by not meeting our Prime Minister in Canada (“Rock Starmer locks in subs as PM misses gig”, 18/6).

Labor has to face the fact its current policies towards Israel and the US and cuddling up to the UN, coupled with the denigratory statements made by key Labor figures in the past, do not merit an immediate face-to-face meeting in the near future.

For now, Trump has bigger fish to fry than meeting our Prime Minister. Trump is too busy working with Israel and Iran to prevent World War III. Does our Prime Minister and the government he leads realise how serious the situation in the Middle East is? The world is on the threshold of a complete disaster.

Peter D. Surkitt, Sandringham, Vic

Oh dear, is that the best our leaders can do for our nation with the world at crisis point? They are suggesting another conversation in which they propose we have a dialogue about de-escalation while countries around the world are daily bombing each other to destruction. Can we expect Anthony Albanese, on returning from what appears to have been a talkfest in Canada, to alight from his aircraft waving a piece of paper declaring there will be “peace in our time”?

The jargon of politics is all we are left with from our leaders charged with looking after our country, ill-equipped to defend itself and its people.

Stephanie Summers, North Turramurra, NSW

Donald Trump’s snubbing of Anthony Albanese, deliberate or not, says much about our deteriorating relationship with the US adminis­tration.

It tells us we are not seen by the US administration as a credible nation when it comes to our ability to offer authority and influence in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly on matters relating to foreign affairs and defence.

If we want to know why this is so we just need to remind ourselves of Labor’s attitude towards Trump personally and to the US more generally.

The several statements about Trump by Albanese and his ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, for starters, would not have been welcomed. Add to this our lack of support for Israel when the US is its strongest supporter, and our ongoing reluctance to commit to a greater defence spend to upgrade our defence capability, and we seem to be inviting the US to sideline us.

The Albanese government has much to answer for in destroying our relationship with the US, threatening the ANZUS agreement and making us appear a nation of parasites when it comes to contributing to regional and world peace and stability.

We voters are more than a little complicit in this situation. We have given the Albanese government a second term with a mandate to do as it pleases.

John George, Terrigal, NSW

While it’s understandable that US President Donald Trump had to cancel or postpone his meeting with Anthony Albanese, it surely deserved a friendly phone call: “Sorry, mate, we’ll reschedule.”

While our Defence Minister, Richard Marles, usually presents quite well in normal, stress-free interviews, when the water becomes muddied and he’s asked some curly questions he looks painfully uncomfortable and ill-equipped to come up with believable answers.

Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield, NSW

Alarmingly, it seems the Albanese government is more intent on reducing Australia’s minuscule amount of carbon pollution than it is in defending the country.

Considering the potential threat from China, much of the vast expenditure given to renewable energy should be redirected to national defence.

Without question, the Australian government’s first responsibility is to defend the nation and its people.

Frank Reade, Macquarie, ACT

Despite all the talk about the imperative of lifting Australia’s defence spending, nowhere are there concrete suggestions as to which programs the government will have to cut, or abolish, to pay for the increased defence needs.

And what arguments and leadership strategies will the government display to convince many in the electorate to relinquish their (now ingrained) sense of entitlement?

Peter M. Wargent, Mosman, NSW