Anthony Albanese has personally lobbied America's new house speaker to help cement the AUKUS submarines deal by the end of this year – just a day after his appointment to the powerful job.
Key points:
- The AUKUS deal requires several key US law changes to go ahead
- But some Republicans have raised fears the deal could weaken the US submarine fleet
- Mr Albanese has been meeting American legislators to promote the deal's benefits
Mike Johnson was voted into the speakership on Wednesday morning, ending three weeks of paralysis in the US congress.
On Thursday, he met Mr Albanese, who is in the US trying to lock down support for AUKUS, which involves supplying nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
"We, of course, have important legislation required for AUKUS," Mr Albanese told Mr Johnson during their meeting.
"And we're certainly hoping that the congress can pass that legislation this year."
The AUKUS deal can only go ahead if congress approves several key law changes.
But in July, 25 Republicans raised concerns with President Joe Biden, telling him the deal could short-change America of its own naval needs and "unacceptably weaken" the local fleet.
Mr Biden, who recently requested another $US3.4 billion to support shipbuilding work to allay those fears, yesterday urged congress to pass the legislation.
Australian officials have been anxious to see the necessary laws passed this year, ahead of next year's US election race and possible return to an unpredictable Trump presidency.
Don't 'fumble the ball': congressman
Today, Mr Albanese said he believed the extra funding had alleviated legislators' concerns, and he was feeling "very confident" about the deal.
"I've met this week with various congress and senate members, and all of them have been very supportive of AUKUS," Mr Albanese told Insiders host David Speers in an interview to be broadcast Sunday.
Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, who co-chairs the AUKUS working group, said there was "an urgency" to the deal and the US must not "fumble the ball".
But he said he was heartened the new speaker was prioritising the key legislation for the remaining working weeks of the year.
"I think we're still in, actually, pretty good shape to hit an end of December deadline," Mr Courtney said.
The speaker's appointment came too late for Mr Albanese to address a joint sitting of congress – an opportunity generally afforded to foreign leaders on official visits.
"He still had, I think, a really good section of people that he met with," said Mr Courtney, who also co-chairs the bipartisan Friends of Australia Congressional Caucus.
"Hopefully we're going to get him back and we'll do a full joint address, which I think really is important to both countries."
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2023-10-26 20:29:11Z
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