In Trump we trust? | Between the Lines
The Wrap with Bill Browne
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returns from a meeting with the mercurial US President Donald Trump, a great diplomatic success by the usual measures. Trump said without hedging that Australia would get nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact and inked a critical minerals deal to “unlock” private investment.
The media lapped up Trump’s comments, as did the Prime Minister – who said Labor’s ads at the next election might feature Trump’s endorsement. But as Emma Shortis warned this week, beneath the bonhomie there was little substance. There are good reasons to doubt that AUKUS will happen and that a full embrace of Trump is wise, or even electorally popular.
‘Symbolically, the meeting was a success. In substance, it revealed that the fundamentals of the relationship have not changed.’
Dr Emma Shortis unpacks Albanese’s meeting with Trump in The Conversation.
@emmashortis.bsky.social #auspol
— The Australia Institute (@australiainstitute.org.au) October 22, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The Liberal Opposition’s main contribution was calling for Australia’s US Ambassador, Kevin Rudd, to be sacked. The Liberals play this game harder than Labor: compare the Turnbull Government shamefully refusing to back Rudd’s earlier United Nations bid to Albanese’s glee that former Liberal Treasurer Matt Kean accepted the invitation to chair the Climate Change Authority.
The Liberals’ obvious disappointment that Albanese and Rudd escaped the meeting unscathed reflects poorly on them. It is reminiscent of their earlier reaction to Australia getting the equal-lowest tariff rate during Trump’s “Liberation Day”. No patriot is unhappy when their country and its leaders do well.
Experts in authoritarianism warn, “Do not comply in advance”. The Liberals’ campaign against Rudd was craven compliance, made more pathetic because Trump gives no indication of having even noticed it. It’s worth remembering that Rudd’s criticism of Trump was about the very real threat he posed to American democracy. The Albanese Government stood by their man in a small but welcome act of defiance.
Speaking of acts of defiance, Liberal backbencher Jane Hume was the first to break from the party’s anti-Rudd line. Party leader Sussan Ley then declined to contradict her rebel backbencher, which has been generously reported as Ley “walking back” the failed attempt to get Rudd sacked. Hume proves that you don’t have to be on the frontbench to change party policy.
Someone who has spent far longer on the backbench with little apparent effect is former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, now flirting with joining One Nation. I’m all for politicians quitting the party or joining a different one: in Australia, you vote for people, not parties. But playing “will they, won’t they” is indulgent when the party Joyce once led flounders.
Many NSW residents don’t realise that the “Westpac” Rescue Helicopter’s operations aren’t funded by Westpac, but by taxpayers.
Ripper piece from @sydmorningherald.bsky.social
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw…— Bill Browne (@browne90.bsky.social) October 21, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Speaking of indulgent, the Sydney Morning Herald reports that Westpac Rescue Helicopter has spent millions on things like lavish balls, golf days and high teas. There’s no doubt that the rescue service, which operates in northern NSW, saves lives – but the NSW taxpayer pays for that part. Westpac’s payment for naming rights doesn’t even cover the $6.5 million spent on “fundraising and events”. As Richard Denniss put it when he exposed Westpac’s overblown sponsorship of the choppers back in 2018:
“Neoliberalism has trained us to thank our sponsors, not our fellow citizens, for what we have collectively achieved.”
And what have your fellow citizens at the Australia Institute collectively achieved this fortnight? Read on to find out.
— Bill Browne is Director of Democracy & Accountability at the Australia Institute
The Big Stories
Introducing The Point
After more than 30 years of research, ideas, and impact, we are launching The Point, a new website dedicated to improving the political and policy conversation in Australia.
The Point delivers quality research, analysis, explainers and factchecks from leading experts, helping people connect the dots between policy, politics, and everyday life. It will feature Amy Remeikis’ politics live blog and columns, plus writing from Greg Jericho, Ketan Joshi, Stephen Long, Emma Shortis, Tegan George, Polly Hemming, Richard Denniss, and many, many more.
Head over to The Point now to explore the latest stories, explainers, and videos.
Parliament is back – and so is our live blog from Amy Remeikis!
Federal parliament returns on Monday 27 October, with the proposed changes to Australia’s environment laws on the political agenda this fortnight.
Follow all the #auspol action every sitting day, complete with fact checks and explainers, on Australia Institute Live with Amy Remeikis.
Progressive patriotism: ACTU’s 25% gas export tax should replace broken PRRT
Analysis by The Australia Institute reveals that replacing the broken Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) with a flat 25% tax on gas exports, as suggested by the ACTU, would raise more than $17 billion a year, enough to quadruple Commonwealth spending on housing.
“A 25% gas export tax would go a long way towards solving the nation’s housing crisis and the self-inflicted ‘gas crisis’ in one fell swoop,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.
Big gas is taking the piss and Australian governments are letting them. It has to stop.
Learn more about fixing our gas export problem >
Adani selling coal to India at mates rates, costing Queenslanders $400 million
Queensland taxpayers have missed out on almost $400 million because Adani sold coal at mates rates to Indian customers, according to new research.
When coal prices hit a record $280 per tonne in 2023, Adani sold Queensland coal to Indian buyers for $100 per tonne, drastically reducing royalty payments to Queenslanders.
“Adani was almost giving coal away at mates rates right at the time when Queenslanders were struggling most with record energy prices in 2023,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.
Can Albanese claim ‘success’ with Trump?
By all the usual diplomatic measures, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with US President Donald Trump was a great success, writes Emma Shortis.
Albanese also signed, in bold Trumpian Sharpie style, a critical minerals deal with the US president. This is being taken as reassurance the United States remains committed to its alliance with Australia – an alliance that, like the critical minerals deal, is framed largely as a question of “security”.
As is common with the Trump administration, however, much of the detail is unclear or a problem for the future.
The Win
Government cracking down on Colesworth price gouging
The Federal Government has developed draft legislation designed to prevent price gouging by supermarkets.
“These changes will finally give the ACCC powers to look at prices of Coles and Woolworths and prevent them from abusing their market power in a way that has seen Australians pay more for groceries than they should,” said Greg Jericho, Australia Institute Chief Economist.
Australia’s major supermarkets are among the world’s most profitable and the Big Two of Coles and Woolworths have little incentive to compete on price, according to a recent Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry.
Hear more on Dollars & Sense >
The Bin
Watered-down super tax won’t address inequality
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has today announced a significantly weaker superannuation tax plan than the one he promised two years ago.
“The government’s watering down of the changes, by indexing the $3 million with inflation, and ruling out taxing unrealised capital gains will be of great comfort to those who abuse the superannuation system in order to avoid paying tax,” said Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at The Australia Institute.
Australia Institute research shows the vast majority of people under 30 will never have more than $3 million in superannuation.
The Quote
Sometimes we have patients that come in who are family members of the doctors and nurses. That’s happened numerous times when I was there, where when we open up the blankets…and it turns out to be the mother, the child of one of the doctors and nurses.
— Dr Mohammed Mustafa, ER doctor & humanitarian on delivering health care in Gaza.
Podcasts
Albanese visits Trump as US democracy circles a golden drain | Follow the Money
Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss why Australia is still unlikely to receive any Virginia-class submarines, why the “shared values” that supposedly underpin the Australia-US alliance are looking increasingly shaky, and Trump’s bizarre AI video showing himself dropping excrement on protesters.
No peace without accountability: Sydney Peace Laureate Navi Pillay | After America
Donald Trump may have declared the war on Gaza over, but a welcome-but-shaky ceasefire and lasting peace are not the same thing. Judge Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and 2025 Sydney Peace Prize Laureate, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss accountability in international law and the prerequisites for genuine peace.
How gold became a memecoin | Dollars & Sense
Greg Jericho and Elinor Johnston-Leek discuss the critical minerals agreement struck between the Australian and American governments, Andrew Leigh’s new anti-price gouging legislation, and why Aussies have been lining up for gold.
What’s On
Bernie Fraser Oration
Tuesday, 28 October | Canberra
Join us at the inaugural Bernie Fraser Oration, delivered by its namesake, Bernie Fraser, who lays claim to being the only person to have led the two main pillars of economic policy management in Australia, the RBA and Treasury.
As a prelude to The Australia Institute’s 2025 Revenue Summit, Bernie Fraser will lay out his ‘big picture’ view of global trends and how they relate to Australian financial markets and the economy in general. While financial leaders typically favour conservatism, Bernie Fraser doesn’t hold back and will present his ideas for raising revenue and detail Australia’s desperate need for a new wave of brave leaders.
Defiance with Bob Brown
Friday, 31 October | Webinar
For this month’s Book Club webinar, we’re joined by the incredible Bob Brown, discussing his new book Defiance.
Told with Brown’s trademark warmth and humour, his stories of fighting to defend nature will galvanise, uplift and inspire.
Barrie, Bowers & Friends
Monday, 17 October | Sydney
The Australia Institute presents Barrie, Bowers and Friends for an evening of political insight, laughs, and a bit of sass. From the election, to what the Albanese government is doing and what is the point of the Coalition – it will all be covered by some of the smartest minds in Australian politics, led by two of Australia’s best political aficionados, Barrie Cassidy and Mike Bowers.
Courage in Climate Leadership | Dr Hugh Saddler Memorial Lecture 2025
Thursday, 13 November | Adelaide
Join us at the second Dr Hugh Saddler Memorial Lecture, featuring the Hon Mike Rann AC CNZM, former South Australian Premier and current Chair of the UK Climate Group, discussing the politics of climate ambition, the importance of courage, and lessons from South Australia’s renewable energy transformation.
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.