The growing bromance between Anthony Albanese and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is good for both men. And the deployment of an Australian Wedgetail aircraft to Germany, to help secure the delivery of aid to Ukraine, is a modest but useful contribution.
The two leaders are both social democrats, leaders of centre-left parties. If the West and its friends are to prevail in the strategic contest with Russia, China and their dependent de facto allies such as Iran and North Korea, it’s necessary that the Western centre left and the centre right both be fully committed to security outcomes. For Australia to sell $1bn worth of Boxer vehicles to Germany is an encouraging consolation for a defence industry that is almost on life support given the absurd delays involved in taking any action after the Defence Strategic Review.
Similarly, it can only be good to have German troops taking part, however modestly, in Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia. The more like-minded friends we have, the better.
The Wedgetail shouldn’t, however, absolve Canberra from helping the Ukrainians with kit they want and need, such as our Bushmasters.
So far, any Defence equipment the Albanese government has given the Ukrainians has come directly from Defence’s own stocks and the money from the Defence budget. That is a recipe for producing packages of old junk, such as the most recent aid package, ludicrously valued at $110m.
Anything the Albanese government gives to the Ukrainians from Defence must now be replenished by the government, which so far it hasn’t done, as this would require some new expenditure.
Similarly, the government could divert some aid money to Ukraine. You can’t use aid money to buy weapons but you can use it for humanitarian purposes and Ukraine certainly needs this.
So far, Germany’s Scholz has been a little disappointing on security. He promised that Berlin had learnt a profound lesson due to its energy dependence on Russia and would massively increase its defence spending and security commitments.
However, the implementation of this has been very slow, distinctly underwhelming. Part of what Albanese is doing, therefore, is helping to develop and evolve Germany’s strategic personality.
Albanese’s highly useful NATO diplomacy demonstrates that he completely rejects the almost buffoon-like contributions of former prime minister Paul Keating.
Keating’s personal attack on NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, describing him as a “supreme fool”, is pathetic.
If anyone engages in Trump-style politics in Australia, it’s Keating, with his abuse and his wild disregard for facts.
For example, Keating claimed in his statement that China is now the world’s biggest economy. That’s just flat-out wrong. It’s about two-thirds the size of the US economy.
Senior Labor figures should dismiss Keating more authoritatively. Their double message, that Keating is a great statesman but everything he says on foreign policy is rubbish, makes no sense.
His status as a great statesman must surely be beyond its use-by date now.
Contrary to Keating’s nonsense, NATO involvement in the Indo-Pacific is good for Australia and for regional security.
So many security issues today – from cyber attacks to political interference to nuclear proliferation – are global, and the co-operation of like-minded nations across the world is necessary and much to be desired.
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