‘Troublesome’: Shadow Minister Concerned PM yet to Secure G7 Meeting With Trump

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Jun 13, 2025 - 10:05 Updated: Jun 13, 2025 - 09:59
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‘Troublesome’: Shadow Minister Concerned PM yet to Secure G7 Meeting With Trump
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Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor has called for a lift in defence spending while pushing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the announced AUKUS review.

The Pentagon confirmed it would review the trilateral defence pact, which includes a plan for Australia to receive nuclear-powered submarines.

The review comes just a week after the United States called on Australia to boost defence spending to counter the “real and potentially imminent” threat from Beijing.

Taylor said the fact AUKUS was under review by was “deeply concerning” and added to a “growing list of issues in Australia’s relationship with the United States.”

He said Albanese needed to secure a direct meeting with Trump to safeguard the agreement.

“Reports today that Mr. Albanese’s scheduled meeting with the U.S. president are in limbo are troublesome,” he said.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looks on during a federal cabinet meeting in Perth, Australia on June 3, 2025. Matt Jelonek/Getty Images
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“If this review has been triggered by the Albanese government’s refusal to commit to increased defence spending and its sanctioning of two Israeli ministers, then the government has very serious questions to answer about how it is managing our most critical allies,” Taylor added.

“If AUKUS falls over it is Australia that pays the price. We would face a dangerous gap in capability at a time when we lack the capacity to go it alone.”

Albanese will travel to the G7 leaders meeting in Canada to be held on June 15-17, however, a meeting with President Trump is yet to be confirmed. The G7 consists of the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Germany, Canada, and France.

What’s Involved in the AUKUS Review?

The Pentagon’s  review of the AUKUS security pact will be conducted by U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby.

In a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing in early 2025, Colby expressed concerns about U.S. submarine production capacity. However, overall, he was relatively positive on the AUKUS pact.

“AUKUS is a model of the type of cooperation we need to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” Colby said (pdf).
“I also agree with Secretary Hegseth that AUKUS is a model for how we should engage with our closest allies and partners when it comes to technology cooperation, scaling production, and integrating our industrial bases,” he added.
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Shadow Minister Angus Taylor at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 17, 2022. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
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“I believe we must increase U.S. attack submarine production to meet U.S. military requirements in the Indo-Pacific region – to ensure our servicemen and women are as well-armed as possible in the event of war – as well as to meet our obligations under AUKUS Pillar I.”

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Richard Marles said he welcomed the AUKUS review and said the Australian government had known about it for some time.

“It’s a very natural step for the incoming administration to take,” Marles said on Sky News Australia.

Marles said he had a very positive meeting with Hegseth just a couple of weeks ago in relation to AUKUS.

“I do have a sense of confidence about the way in which AUKUS is playing out under the Trump administration and that we will meet the pathway that we have committed to and that we’ve committed to in a treaty between our three nations,” Marles said.

Concerns With Australia’s Defence Spending and Israeli Sanctions

The United States has raised concerns publicly about two major security issues: Australia needing to lift defence spending, and sanctioning Israel officials amid the conflict in the Middle East.

In early June, U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth called on Australia to boost defence spending to 3.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which would equate to about $40 billion more per year.

Despite the call to action from Hesgeth, Albanese said Australia would make its own decisions on defence spending and stood by the government’s current 2.3 percent spend.

“What you should do in defence is decide what you need, your capability, and then provide for it. That’s what my government’s doing. Investing in our capability and investing in our relationships,” Albanese told reporters on June 2.

“We’re continuing to lift up, that adds up to 2.3 percent of GDP is where defence spending will rise.”

In the 2025-26 federal budget,“ Labor promised ”defence funding will exceed 2.3 percent of GDP by the early 2030s.” In contrast, spending on welfare services is increasing at a much faster rate.

Meanwhile, on June 10, the United States condemned Australia, the UK, Canada, Norway and New Zealand for imposing sanctions on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctions did not advance U.S. led efforts to achieve a ceasefire and an end the war.

“We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel,” Rubio said.
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