As Albo continues to ignore the only nation and ally that has spilt blood in the defence of our continent, the stakes have just been raised.
President Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Australian-manufactured pharmaceuticals to 200 per cent and copper to 50 per cent. These two items were previously in a tariff-free zone. Not anymore.
While ‘Handsome Boy’ Albo is busy schmoozing up to his ideological mate in Beijing, ‘The Don’ has sent a clear message that can no longer be ignored.
While economists carry on about economic theory, it takes a political scientist to know what is going on here.
The tariffs have nothing to do with economics.
They have everything to do with power.
Instead of working with our major ally, Albo is playing to his far-left mates by pretending that Australia can go it alone. Meanwhile, his relationship with China at the expense of our relationship with the US looks like it’s straight out of an episode of Please Explain.
The Don has suggested that Australian companies will have time to avoid the tariffs by relocating to the US. This is all part of his re-industrialising America plan. It makes sense given the state of play in global affairs.
Albo appears to have been avoiding the US deliberately because, like his ambassador mate there, he is on the nose. And why wouldn’t he be? He is ignoring the most powerful man in the history of the world. It’s a pretty silly game plan if there’s a plan at all.
In 2024, Australia’s pharmaceutical exports to the US topped AUD$2 billion. This is no small fry. A 200 per cent tariff sends a pretty clear message.
While copper exports last year were around AUD$55 million, the tariff at 50 per cent is less extreme Its removal from the tariff-free zone, however, is a sweet little postscript to the larger pharma message.
I’m not sure about anyone else, but a strong POTUS is a good thing for Australia. It makes no sense for Albo to be hanging out with the captain of the opposing team. To use a football analogy, The Don might just be setting Albo up for a hospital pass as a reminder of whose team he’s meant to be on.
In my opinion, Albo seems to be doing everything imaginable to turn Australia into an even bigger irrelevance than he made it in his last term in office. There’s no shame in having to pay respects to The Don. Pretending human nature is different doesn’t make it so.
Dr Michael de Percy @FlaneurPolitiq is the Spectator Australia’s Canberra Press Gallery Correspondent. If you would like to support his writing, or read more of Michael, please visit his website.
