US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in October.Credit:AP
The Coalition hascastigated Labor in recent days for choosing not to send a warship to the region,whereHouthi rebels have been wreaking havoc in key shipping routes facilitating the transfer of oil,humanitarian aid and other products.
The Yemen-based,Iranian-backed armed group is protesting againstIsrael’s military action in Gaza,which was prompted by theOctober 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas,an entity also supported by Iran.
“We won’t be sending a ship or a plane,” Marles said on Sky News on Thursday.
“That said,we will be almost tripling our contribution to the Combined Maritime Forces. We need to be really clear around our strategic focus and our strategic focus is our region – the north-east Indian Ocean,the South China Sea,the East China Sea,the Pacific.“
Dutton said the decision not to provide more substantive support made the Albanese government “an international laughing stock”.
“It takes a lot of effort with a special blend of weakness and incompetence for our prime minister to turn his back on our closest ally,a decision that could only be welcomed by Hamas[a listed terrorist organisation]. Doesn’t that say it all?” the opposition leader,who is on leave,posted on X,formerly known as Twitter.