Why Albanese’s ‘Australian way’ speech will concern Washington

A key speech from Anthony Albanese setting out his vision for Australia in world affairs will deepen the sense of strategic disconnect between Canberra and Washington at a key moment.

Anthony Albanese has issued a reminder that Labor will pursue Australian sovereign interests – even where they diverge from those of Washington.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

Anthony Albanese has given a speech that will heighten fears of a growing strategic and political disconnect between Australia and Washington.

The Prime Minister used the John Curtin Oration in Sydney on Saturday night to set out what he has dubbed the “Australian way” under Labor.

This is partly a response to the “America First” agenda being championed by Donald Trump, with Albanese issuing a reminder that Labor will pursue Australian sovereign interests – even where they diverge from those of Washington.

Drawing on Curtin’s wartime experience in resisting pressure from Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt to divert Australian troops to Burma following the fall of Singapore, Albanese made clear the US alliance was “not the extent” of Australia’s defence and foreign policy.

“Our alliance with the US ought to be remembered as a product of Curtin’s leadership in defence and foreign policy, not the extent of it,” he said. “Curtin’s famous statement that Australia ‘looked to America’ was much more than the idea of trading one strategic guarantor for another … It was a recognition that Australia’s fate would be decided in our region.”

This will be seen as a rhetorical assertion of greater Australian independence on the world stage at a time of growing differences and strain in Canberra’s relations with Washington under Trump.

US President Donald Trump. Picture: AFP

The address will have been closely watched in Washington, with insiders already suggesting it is being viewed negatively. They say Albanese is not taking the obvious step to embrace greater independence by lifting defence spending above current levels.

Setting out the pillars of his “Australian way”, Albanese made clear this approach included strong support for a robust multilateralism, adherence to the rules-based order, support for small and middle powers and a rejection of “great power peace” as the basis for stability in the Indo-Pacific.

While this sends a message to Beijing, it will also reverberate discordantly in Washington. The risk is Albanese will be seen as leaning into the differences between Labor and the Trump administration to win a domestic political dividend.

These differences extend beyond the realm of foreign affairs, with Albanese framing Australia as a “social laboratory” and ‘workers’ paradise” in having created a fair minimum wage, age pension and affordable health care.

After the US pharmaceutical lobby took aim at Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Albanese sent another message to Washington. “We’ve made it clear that under our Labor government, the PBS is not up for negotiation,” he said.

Setting out how Canberra was contributing to the region, Albanese cited the rejuvenation of Australian leadership in the Pacific, stabilisation of ties with China and deepening of economic engagement across South East Asia.

Fresh efforts to enhance co-operation with Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and India were also promoted – but there was no mention of the landmark AUKUS agreement.

Albanese said that Australia could “choose the way we engage with our region and deal with the world”.

While the US alliance was framed as “a pillar of our foreign policy” and “our most important defence and security partnership,” the speech appeared to infer a growing divide between Canberra and Washington.

Senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, John Lee, said that Albanese “calling for a more independent foreign policy would be understandable and credible if we are prepared to spend more to meet our defence needs rather than rely as much on American capacity, technology and presence as we currently do”.

“It does not appear that the Albanese government is prepared to do that,” Dr Lee said. “Therefore, if Albanese is really serious about a strategic divergence away from the US, this will leave Australia more isolated and vulnerable.”

He said that, even if the speech was intended for domestic political consumption, it would “nevertheless add further weight to the suspicion in the White House that the Albanese government is not taking its own agreed strategic assessments about a worsening environment seriously”.

Former ambassador to Washington, Arthur Sinodinos, said the address would need “careful explanation to our American friends to avoid a misconception that was hyped that the speech would be a declaration of independence from the US.”

But he also said the speech made clear that the alliance enjoyed bipartisan support in Australia.

“The speech is about Australia taking foreign policy decisions in its own interest including turning to the US in World War Two and frames that pivot in terms of our security interest in the region,” he said.