What about how we are handling our security arrangements with the US, given, you know *gestures* everything.

Marles:

Our security relationship with the United States is a different thing. I mean, unlike the Liberals, we’re not putting defence on the table here.

We really negotiate and have our relationship with the United States under the banner of the alliance on its own terms and, in fact, you know we’re optimistic about that going forward.

I met with my counterpart more than a month ago now in Washington, and had a really positive conversation about how we can walk forward together with the United States in terms of pursuing the alliance. The alliance has been in place since 1951. We have been fighting side by side with the United States since the First World War. It is a profoundly important defence relationship which really has transcended administrations in Washington and for that matter governments in Canberra, and we will continue to pursue that because it’s very much in Australia’s interest.