In his weekly column in The Age today, Sean Kelly says that a taboo question for the Australian government is ‘at what point does America become the type of country we no longer want to ally with’?

There are two different questions we might have for potential allies.  Do we like their politics?  We are for, example, much more at home with the politics of Japan than say India or Indonesia.  But that does not mean that we should not enter into alliances with either.  Even before Trump, aspects of American politics troubled us – for example guns and Medicare, and their propensity to join with very undesirable governments, and then lose wars.  But that did not preclude us – on a non-partisan basis – from continuing our alliances with the US.  And toeing the line while snapping to attention.

But there is another question that is far more important.  Can we trust the U S to discharge its obligations to us under a treaty of Alliance like AUKUS?  Before Trump, we answered with a wobbly ‘Yes’.  Since Trump, the answer must be ‘No’ – and unequivocally.  Just look at Ukraine or the Middle East. 

And that answer will not change with the passing of Trump.  That will take a long time indeed.  A period in the dog house may be good for them.

It follows in my view that we should be looking to terminate AUKUS and entering into other alliances.  I agree with Mr Brandis that we should enter into an alliance with the E U. 

The bonus is that we are far more at home with their politics than those of the US.  At the age of nearly eighty, I regard both Germany and Japan as more dependable and essentially democratic than the U S.

Sic transit gloria.