It is being billed as an “Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition”, which sounds benign, but in reality it is .
From from November 4-6, it will play host to some of the biggest weapons’ corporations which have profited from two years of genocide in Gaza, including , and , which has a mission to “accelerate the revitalization of defence”.
Amid a genocide and widespread and growing opposition to the AUKUS military alliance with the United States and Britain, the principal sponsors the federal claim this festival of militarism is “in the national interest”.
Those concerned about peace and justice in the region say it is nothing of the sort. “It helps embed Australia more deeply into the US war plans, with AUKUS aimed at a US-led war with China,” said Peter Murphy from the Sydney Anti-Anti-AUKUS Coalition (SAAC).
Recent polling by the pro-AUKUS United States Studies Centre (USSC) shows public trust in the US alliance is crashing.
The October 16 provided the figures which show that those who believe the US alliance makes the country more secure has fallen to 42%, down from 55% in 2024.
“Almost one third of all Australians believe the US-Australia alliance makes the country less secure,” said Michael Read, adding just 16% think Trump’s second term is “good for Australia” and 56% think it is “bad for the country”.
“The polling shows that more Australians now think the US is harmful (33 per cent) rather than helpful (24 per cent) in Asia, an almost complete reversal from the 2024 results before Trump’s election.”
USSC research director Jared Mondschein told the AFR that “confusion about AUKUS” reflected that it had not been sold as a “strategic partnership” with the US, but rather framed as a domestic jobs and labour opportunity. He added that he didn’t think “that is why Australia is undergoing one of the largest investments in its defence in decades”.
The arms bazaar will host delegations from the British Labour government, which has a separate AUKUS agreement with Australia, and the European Union, with which Australia hopes to develop bilateral weapons trade.
Peace, environment and anti-nuclear groups say the Expo must be cancelled and they will protest outside it on Tuesday November 4.
“Labor must cancel AUKUS, including the nuclear-powered submarines, and stop providing weapons and parts to assist Israel in continuing its genocide in Gaza,” Murphy said. “AUKUS is preparing Australia to go to a likely war with China. It has nothing to do with ‘security’.”
SAAC is organising the protest outside the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour. It is being supported by other groups including Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition, Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends, Pax Christi, Labor Against War, Students for Palestine, Palestine Action Group, The Greens, Socialist Alliance, the Communist Party of Australia and Wage Peace.
[To add your organisation as a call Peter Murphy on 0418 312 301. Pip Hinman is an activist in Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition.]