AUKUS ‘100 per cent safe’ under Trump, says Federal Trade Minister Don Farrell

Trade Minister Don Farrell says he believes the plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK is 100 per cent safe under a second Trump Administration.

But speaking on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, he said he was meeting powerful figures on both sides of US politics to “hold the torch” for maintaining free trade with Australia, acknowledging a growing “mood of protectionism” not just in the United States but around the world.

And the one-time factional enemy of Kevin Rudd lauded the former prime minister’s work as US Ambassador as “triumphant” and doubted that Australia’s man in Washington would have any trouble in accessing a Trump Administration despite the former prime minister’s colourful criticisms of the Republican candidate.

Mr Farrell described as “magical” the atmosphere in Chicago, Illinois, where last-minute nominee Kamala Harris has electrified Democratic supporters and put the Democrats in a winnable position, according to current polling.

In an exclusive interview, the trade minister said he was honoured to be the first Australian minister to be invited to the Democratic gathering.

“It’s been magical,” he said.

“I received a formal invitation from the Democratic National Convention to be able to come and witness this flowering of democracy.

“I’m pretty pleased and proud to be here as a representative of the Australian government.

“The way in which the Americans prosecute their democracy has been amazing to see and it’s been a great privilege.”

He said he had met with Biden Administration officials, including Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

It remains unclear how much of Joe Biden’s trade and foreign policy current Vice-President Kamala Harris would continue if she and her running mate Tim Walz are elected to take over next year.

But Harris’ opponent Donald Trump has said he will impose a blanket ten per cent tariff on all imports into the United States as well as a 60 per cent duty on all goods from China.

Trump has long railed against the US trade deficit with the world’s second-largest economy which in 2022 was worth US $367 billion.

Unlike China, the United States has a free trade agreement with Australia and runs a trade surplus which, in 2022, was valued at US $27 billion.

Asked if Trump’s proposed tariffs would violate the terms of the trade deal struck between the Bush Administration and John Howard’s government in 2005, Mr Farrell would not be drawn on whether Australia would launch action in the World Trade Organisation.

“We’re a long way from that from position,” he said.

“I don’t want to hypothesise at this point.

“Obviously, that is not in Australia’s interests and in impressing the argument for free trade we’d seek to discourage a Republican president from going down that track,” he said.

Mr Farrell said this was why he met former Illinois House Minority Leader and influential Republican Jim Durkin during his trip.

Australia was exempted from tariffs President Trump imposed on steel, largely due to the advocacy by the former Ambassador Joe Hockey who befriended the former President and key figures in Trump’s chaotic Administration.

Mr Farrell expressed confidence that Kevin Rudd, who has described Mr Trump as “nuts” and a “traitor to the West” would be equally successful.

“Kevin Rudd’s been triumphant in the United States in getting the AUKUS agreement through the Congress,” the minister said.

“I’m very confident that Kevin will continue to be an excellent representative of Australia.

“All of his skills come to the fore in these situations.”

Mr Farrell’s praise is in stark contrast to the efforts he went to in 2010 to oust Mr Rudd from the prime ministership, in large part, because of the former Labor leader’s personality style in dealing with colleagues.

The 70-year-old said he was no longer the “Godfather” of factional Labor politics but a grandfather of three.

“I’m a reformed man,” he said.

The South Australian Senator added that the recent progress on AUKUS and the unlocking of a giant free trade defence agreement between the three countries could help quarantine Australia from any punitive measures.

Describing an encounter with the former Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee – Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks – he said he was in no doubt about the safety of AUKUS regardless of who won the US Presidential election.

“Congressman Meeks threw his arms around me and he said ‘Don, we’re going to build submarines together’ and I said: ‘Yep, we sure are and we’re going to build them in Adelaide.’”

“It’s not just the Democrats, there’s goodwill toward Australia from both Democrats and Republicans.

“And I want to use that goodwill to keep the free trade doors open.”

Asked if he viewed AUKUS as 100 per cent safe under Trump, the minister said: “Look I believe it is, I believe it is.”

Trump has personally said little about AUKUS but those around him have conveyed support for the project, amid concerns that the former President’s isolationist, America-First approach could jeopardise the plan to buy Virginia-class submarines from the US, given it is already struggling to produce enough boats for its own Navy.

Earlier this year, former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, who is widely thought to be auditioning for a national security role in any second Trump Administration, told The Nightly that he would not have signed off on handing over the United States “crown jewels” – the nuclear technology – to Australia.