The changes announced over the weekend will see Australia buy three second-hand submarines, rather than two second-hand and one new.<\/p>\n
Mr Conroy, who is one of the most senior figures in the party’s left faction, will use the speech to argue that progressive politics and patriotism can be aligned, and national security should be prioritised.<\/p>\n
“Progressive patriotism recognises that defending our democracy, sovereignty and way of life is therefore also worth doing, just as much as any other element of what we seek to do as progressives,” he will say according to excerpts of the speech provided to the ABC.<\/p>\n
“It means we still stand tall with our great friend and ally \u2014 the United States.<\/p>\n
“But, at the same time, we can have self-reliance within the alliance \u2014 and strategic autonomy.”<\/p>\n
The parliamentary Labor Party has firmly backed the AUKUS nuclear submarine pact since it was first raised under the Morrison government, pouring billions into it since taking office.<\/p>\n
But it has continually had to push back on concerns about the pact within the Labor Party’s broader membership, including a discussion at the last national conference in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n More recently, Labor MP Ed Husic called for a “rethink” on AUKUS<\/a>, in the wake of a shift in the pact that saw Australia acquire three in-service Virginia-class submarines, rather than two in-service and one new.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ed Husic is among those who have been critical of AUKUS. (Four Corners: Mark Hiney)<\/p>\n It is not the first time the government has articulated an ideology of “progressive patriotism”<\/a> to define its approach to defence, national security and Australia’s place in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr Conroy will use the speech to argue that progressives should not allow the conservative side of politics to own the concept of patriotism and an interest in national security.<\/p>\n Australia could still buy five US submarines if needed, Marles says<\/a><\/p>\n Australia’s defence minister has defended a shake-up to AUKUS that would involve Australia buying three second-hand Virginia-class submarines from the United States.<\/p>\n And he will point to Labor’s history of defence investment \u2014 from the creation of the Defence Department under Gough Whitlam to Julia Gillard establishing the US Marine Rotational Force Darwin \u2014 suggesting AUKUS is the natural next step.<\/p>\n “And now, the Albanese government is delivering the largest increase in peacetime defence investment ever \u2026 delivering the most significant reforms to the Department in 50 years \u2026 and delivering massive projects across the board from AUKUS, to continuous shipbuilding, to establishing new industries in drones and missiles,” Mr Conroy is expected to say.<\/p>\n “Investing in our defence \u2026 building our self-reliance and defence industry \u2026 forms an integral part of the Labor approach to progressive patriotism.”<\/p>\n Conroy argues defence bureaucracy ‘outdated and compromised’<\/p>\n The speech is timed alongside the release of the new Defence Industry Development Strategy, and comes as the Department of Defence prepares for its most significant changes in years.<\/p>\n Work is underway to shift responsibility for tens of billions of dollars in defence acquisitions from the department to a new Defence Delivery Agency, set to be established from July 1 next year.<\/p>\n The first steps were taken this week as three “groups” within defence tasked with highly complex acquisitions in shipbuilding, guided weapons and more were consolidated, creating the architecture that will eventually become the new department.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/e7631c13935911282dff52900eef3cdf.jpeg\")
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