Mark McGowan is confident AUKUS will go ahead, despite growing uncertainty around the international defence pact.
The former Premier spoke at an event this morning, where he spoke about the changing nature of the relationship between Australia and the US.
He was asked if Western Australian investors could be confident to invest internationally, particularly when uncertainty loomed around initiatives like AUKUS.
“I think AUKUS will stay,” Mr McGowan said.
“The Commonwealth Government announced $12 billion for defence infrastructure [and] I think it will stay, and whatever happens Western Australia is pretty strong.
“This place is vibrant and successful and going gangbusters, and I don't think that will change.”
There is growing uncertainty as to whether the trilateral partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will occur, with a recent poll from strategy firm CT Group showing confidence is dipping among the Australian public about the deal.
The nuclear submarine powered pact is currently under review by the US administration, but this is considered a normal part of the process.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to meet with US President Donald Trump within days, with AUKUS likely to be on the agenda.
Mr McGowan also spoke about the animosity towards America from Western Australians, highlighted by behaviour at the weekend’s wrestling event.
“We had a WWE event on the weekend ... the American national anthem was played, and the crowd booed hugely,” he said.
“Now this is the WWE crowd, they’re normally the sort of more Trump style people, and they booed.
“I think what’s happened with him is all these tariffs and the attacks on friends and the attacks on traditional allies, and the sort of very abrasive and rude style has damaged America’s standing around the world.”
Mr McGowan added that Donald Trump had also created “copycats” in countries such as Germany, France and Britain, with those jurisdictions keen to mimic his leadership style.
“Personally, I think here it doesn’t work so well, I think there’s a lot of factors in Australia that mean it doesn’t work very well," he said.
“But I think in other countries around the world, there are movements that are trying to copy what he what he does, which is kind of contrary to what I said first about damaging the standing of America.
“But I think those two things are happening at the same time. I don’t think either of them are in the interest of the world or the complete interest of the United States.”
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop, who spoke alongside Mark McGowan, described Donald Trump as one of the most disruptive leaders the world has seen.
“International relations and global foreign affairs are endlessly dynamic, … but one individual can make a difference to the life of our times," she said.
“And without doubt, President Trump, as leader of free world, is possibly one of the most disruptive leaders we’ve seen in some time.”
Ms Bishop added that President Trump was living out the truism that former secretary of state Henry Kissinger said, which was that America did not have permanent friends or enemies, but only interests.
“The Trump administration has clearly abandoned the values based foreign policy that dominated US administration since the First World War, and most certainly the morals based foreign policy after World War Two, which led to the establishment of the United Nations, backed mostly by the United States.
“These days, the Trump administration is running an interest based foreign policy.
“What you see nations around the world doing is seeking to identify America’s core interests, and then they are able to predict what actions President Trump will take.”
She added that if the Republicans could hold the balance of power in the midterms and next presidential election, this would be the American foreign policy for years to come.
