New AUKUS law to smooth tech sharing

New AUKUS-related legislation will be introduced into parliament to reform Australia’s export control framework.

Anthony Albanese at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC. Picture: Geoff Chambers

New AUKUS-related legislation will be introduced into parliament to reform Australia’s export control framework, as the Albanese government pushes the US to knock down legal barriers to the nuclear-powered submarine plan.

The legislation, to be introduced in coming months, will help streamline Australia’s information and technology sharing ­arrangements with the US under the AUKUS pact, and follows initial legislation to prevent the transfer of sensitive Defence information to foreign militaries.

The move comes after Anthony Albanese declared during his state visit to Washington DC that Australia would not lift its $3bn commitment to strengthen the US and British submarine ­industries.

I look forward to working with President @JoeBiden and his administration in the coming days to advance our mutual interests. pic.twitter.com/hN2tmqaNHQ

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 23, 2023

The friendship between Australia and the United States runs deep. pic.twitter.com/CUElHBFJEv

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 23, 2023

I look forward to working with President @JoeBiden and his administration in the coming days to advance our mutual interests. pic.twitter.com/hN2tmqaNHQ

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 23, 2023

The Prime Minister said he believed Australia’s existing funding for AUKUS was “appropriate”, ahead of meetings with President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.

Mr Albanese and Mr Biden’s talks will focus on delivering key enabling legislation in both countries, while the Prime Minister will also meet with key US congress members over the next three-days in a bid to lock in bipartisan support for AUKUS.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the “landmark reforms” were a critical step forward for our nuclear-powered submarine ambitions and the wider AUKUS partnership.

“Through this approach, we are opening avenues for greater technology transfers with one of our closest partners and this will see enormous opportunities open up.” Mr Marles said.

Mr Albanese is expected to deliver a major speech advocating key AUKUS legislative changes at the US State Department on Friday (AEDT), after meeting a day earlier with the influential Friends of Australia Caucus, including Democrat Joe Courtney and Republican Mike Gallagher.

Kevin Rudd and Anthony Albanese at Arlington National Cemetery where he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and paid respects to two Australians who rest there. Picture: Instagram

His time in Washington has been somewhat shrouded by the ongoing Republican turmoil on Capitol Hill, which has shattered plans for him to follow in the footsteps of John Howard and Julia Gillard, who delivered speeches to congress.

Ruling out extra Australian support to expand submarine-building in the US and Britain, Mr Albanese said Mr Biden’s new bill to increase US funding was about a joint ambition to “increase ­capacity”.

“The AUKUS arrangements are in the interest of Australia, to play our role,” he said.

The friendship between Australia and the United States runs deep. pic.twitter.com/CUElHBFJEv

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 23, 2023

“We don’t seek to just be someone who is watching. We seek as well to play a role in security in the Indo-Pacific.

“And one way we do that is through AUKUS, by lifting up our own capacity. Now that is very important going forward.”

Congress has been without a Speaker since October 3, an unprecedented period that has left the US government unable to pass laws or amendments, including critical legislation to facilitate AUKUS and the President’s request for $US105bn in funding for Ukraine and Israel.

Ambassador Kevin Rudd expressed concerns this month that congress wasn’t moving fast enough to make legislative changes to allow the transfer of ­advanced defence technology promised under the AUKUS pact.

Mr Albanese says he is ‘very confident of a very positive outcome. And that comes from the top in President (Joe) Biden’s commitment to this’. Picture: X

In a speech at the G’Day Defence Dialogue, Dr Rudd slammed the “really crazy” and “ridiculous” US International Traffic in Arms Regulations, known as ITAR, which in their current state would throttle the creation of a seamless defence industrial base between the two countries.

“What we cannot afford in the future, is the continuation of the most ridiculous manifes­tations of the ITAR regime,” Dr Rudd said.