The federal opposition leader,Sussan Ley, says the Albanese government should have done more to secure a meeting with US President Donald Trump before his early exit from theG7in Canada today.
In a statement, she said Trump’s decision to leave a day before his meeting withAnthony Albaneseis understandable but regrettable.
“Given the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, this decision is understandable but to the detriment of Australia.
“This was an important opportunity for the prime minister to seek assurances on Aukus and protect Australia from tariffs.
“Given global volatility and the growing list of issues in our relationship with the United States, this underscores that the Albanese government should not have merely relied on meeting with the president on the sidelines of international summits.
“The prime minister should have been more proactive in seeking to strengthen this relationship – Australia’s most important – and we encourage him to change his approach to advance our national interest.”
