This is the bit about AUKUS nobody talks about.

Phase one sees US nuclear powered and nuclear armed subs based in Australia. Partially crewed and supported by Australia but under US command.

The US nuclear armed subs get a strategic base on the Indian Ocean rim, which we pay to build and run, and we also pay the US on top of that to do it. It was meant to be a stop-gap until we got our own boats, but a deal this bad for Australia incentivises Trump to not supply them. And we even gave them a clause that lets them do that.

This is the worst deal in the history of deals. It's all sunk costs. Get out now and ask the French if we can restart the original deal as a co-project with Canada. #Aukus #Trump #Canada #Auspol

US starts to build submarine presence on strategic Australian coast under AUKUS - CNA
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/us-starts-build-submarine-presence-strategic-australian-coast-under-aukus-5004096

In #auspol I am reading https://e61.in/the-rising-isolation-of-the-island-nation-five-economic-themes-that-will-dominate-the-next-parliament/

Frank and fascinating appraisal of the history of free trade agreements between Australia and the US and China

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-16/verrender-us-free-trade-analysis/105053766 #auspol

Murdoch's Australian Fox News urges leader of the conservatives, Peter Dutton, to be more like Trump going into a federal election.

HahahahahHAHAHahaha. Fucking dooeet. Electoral oblivion. We believe in you, Peter.

Dutton has little faith in Medicare. Like Trump, he prefers culture wars - Pearls and Irritations #AusPol

https://johnmenadue.com/peter-dutton-does-not-really-believe-in-medicare/

Peter #Dutton’s response to climate change is to make insurance more affordable so people can recover from natural disasters better.

Put the LNP last.

"So what we're looking at right now in America, is waking up Monday morning and having $US3 billion ($A4.77B) worth of beef, pork and poultry no longer eligible to export to China,"

Export licences issued five years ago were meant to auto-renew, but that was not happening and it seemed to be on purpose.

Last year the United States sent 170,000 tonnes of beef to China that would need to find another market.

All of the sudden the only grain-fed beef on earth that China can buy is from Australia

#USPol #AusPol #trade #Tariffs #USA #Australia

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-14/3-billion-united-states-meat-trade-to-china-at-risk/105052220

Some good news for the morning, bread 'n circus emissions shitfest abandonded in Melbourne.

Alas only temporarily but still, one has to take the tiny shards of good news where you can

The VIP fleet flew 28,527km in the last few days. That's 2 planes planes doing 11 flights over 18 hrs and 17 mins and costing around $83,388. 4 flights were not properly logged. {656} (https://politicalgadgets.com/) #auspol

I feel guilty & culpable every time i cook, or boil the kettle, on my gas cooktop.

And yet

• Melbourne, this weekend
• Bathurst, each October

We humans are such idiots.

Australia's Prime Minister has had a single phone call with Trump, while its ambassador to the US, a former Prime Minister, is on the record calling the US leader a 'traitor', 'destructive' and 'village idiot'.

Australia is pushing on with backing Ukraine, offering up continued financial support and peacekeepers should a ceasefire eventuate, but has so far done nothing in response to tariffs.

The Australian people are pissed and embarking on their own boycotts, particularly incensed by the United State's treatment of Canada for who they hold great sympathy and friendship and in which they see a blueprint for their own treatment. Something's brewing and the status quo will not hold. When the 'relationship' breaks, it's going to break hard.

#auspol #wapol #lnp #election2025

WA election results are very interesting and i suspect good idea of results for coming election. All i hope is that the LNP are almost exterminated.

https://newpolitics.com.au/2025/03/15/wa-votes-and-dutton-unravelling-strong