AUKUS agreement is a noose around Australia’s neck, leading us to war

Rally for Peace NOT WAR at the Labor Party National Conference, 8.30am – 11. 00am, Friday 18 August, Convention Centre, Corner Glenelg and Merivale Streets, South Brisbane. A large nuclear submarine prop will headline the street theatre and music to demonstrate the depth of community objections to the Labor Government’s decision to continue a dangerous foreign policy decision of the previous Morrison government.

The AUKUS agreement is a “noose around the neck of our people, leading us to war”, says Ms Annette Brownlie, spokesperson for the Australian Anti AUKUS Coalition (Queensland) and the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN).  "There is widespread community opposition to the war preparation policies of the last decade, continued under the current Labor government. The AUKUS agreement secretly plotted during the Morrison government term was effectively rubber stamped by the newly elected Albanese/Marles Labor Government without any real scrutiny or independent risk assessments undertaken.”

Ms Brownlie added that the AUKUS agreement is a dangerous development, further enmeshing Australia in US war fighting capacity, and heightening community concerns that AUKUS could involve nuclear weapons.”

Many other organisations and individuals also share these grave concerns. Some examples are:

Marcus Strom, National Convenor, Labor Against War (LAW).
“AUKUS is not about ‘security’. In the words of US Congressman Mike Gallagher, it is about going on a ‘war footing’ against our major trading partner, China. Labor’s rank-and-file – and the Australian people – don’t want to be dragged into another US-led war to prop up its empire”.

Ms Gem Romuld, Australian Director of ICAN, on nuclear weapons risk:
"We want more than a verbal statement that AUKUS will not involve nuclear weapons. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the legally-binding vehicle to guarantee Australia's rejection of these worst-of-all weapons of mass destruction. It's time for Labor to follow through on its commitment and join the ban now.”

Australian whistleblower and former British Army major and Australian Army lawyer, David McBride
“The ALP conference celebrates the views of workers. Twenty years ago Anthony Albanese warned about following US war mongering slavishly. He was a disciple of Tom Uren, a lone voice in the Parliament against the disastrous Vietnam War. Today’s ALP is even more in lock-step with the US than the LNP Govt roundly rejected by the Australian electorate. I’ve seen the US war machine. They protect their Govt, not their people, not the free world and certainly not the workers of Australia. There is no excuse for the PM to deny a vote to conference on AUKUS, especially after such distinguished ALP figures speaking out against it. If they can’t free Assange, they can’t be trusted.”
 
Annette Brownlie, IPAN, again:
“AUKUS also further confirms to our regional neighbours our USA Deputy Sherrif status and as a sub-imperial power and undermines our sovereignty, which is also evident in the government selling out Australian sovereignty to the U.S.A. through the Force Posture Agreement and the recent AUSMIN 2023 decisions. We call on the ALP delegates to the National Conference to reverse the march to war, reject AUKUS and nuclear powered-submarines and so regain sovereignty and put Australia on the path to peace and mutually beneficial relations with all our neighbours.”
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Speakers at the Rally will speak to concerns around the decisions regarding AUKUS and the nuclear submarine deal.
Speakers include:

• Peter Ong Qld/NT ETU Secretary
• Andrew Bonnell National VP NTEU
• Marcus Strom, Labor Against War (LAW)
• Gem Romuld, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
• David McBride, Whistleblower on War Crimes
• Ella Gutteridge, UQ Students Union