US Forces Given the Nod

The Americanisation of Australian defence policy has been further entrenched by the announcement of a major US spy base outside Geraldton.

"With no warning the Federal Government has signed up for a new Pine Gap on Perth's doorstep. This is the most significant US military encroachment into Australia since the Pine Gap treaty was signed in 1966," Senator Rachel Siwert said this morning.

"Australians are now even more deeply enmeshed in United States military endeavours, whether we agree with them or not. It is a classic John Howard capitulation to US military interests."

Senator Siewert has demanded to know whether the State or Local Government was notified, and why the deal was signed up without so much as a word of community consultation.

"John Howard has taken us deeper into the Iraq quagmire with this base, which we understand is designed to help the US fight wars in the Middle East."

"I call on the Labor Party to make its position clear on the proliferation of US military facilities in Australia. Will Kevin Rudd simply fall in behind John Howard as previous Labor leaders have done?"