The government’s attempt to portray the US review of AUKUS as a ringing endorsement of the deal has barely survived a week.
The review itself has not been released, and Labor’s village idiot for defence, Richard Marles, has repeatedly refused to answer questions about its contents, other than to parrot Donald Trump in saying it was “full steam ahead” with AUKUS as he and Foreign Minister Penny Wong headed to Washington for their annual meeting with their US counterparts.