Meanwhile smoke hangs over Victoria as out-of-control fire at Carlisle River near Gellibrand in state’s south-west continues. Follow updates live
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says Donald Trump’s comments that Nato-aligned soldiers, including Australians “stayed a little off the frontlines” in Afghanistan was “completely unacceptable”.
Albanese told ABC’s insiders that the US president had walked back some of the comments on Saturday, with a statement praising British soldiers after outrage from the UK government.
They deserve our absolute respect, admiration, the bravery that was shown by 40,000 Australians who served in Afghanistan.
They were certainly on the frontlines. In order to, along with our other allies, to defend democracy and freedom. And to defend our national interest.
That’s completely unacceptable.
He is I think an outstanding Australian public servant. He served as an ambassador to Iran and to Indonesia. He’s played a role in Papua New Guinea as well. He was the first, appointed the first counter-terrorism tsar if you look in 2015. He’s been a former chief of staff to a Liberal prime minister. He has served both Labor and Coalition governments and he’s been of the secretary of the Department of Defence and the Aukus deal is central to our relationship with the US. And he’s in a very strong position to be on top of all of that detail.
Continue reading…
Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jan/25/victoria-otways-bushfires-nsw-lake-cargelligo-manhunt-federal-politics-anthony-albanese-labor-sussan-ley-coalition-ntwnfb
Author : Josh Taylor
Publish date : 2026-01-24 22:27:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
